


blowing up your phone

by tostitos



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Platonic Cuddling, Sexual Humor, Smut, Texting, aka dumb innuendos, in ch. 4 and it's kinda crap tbh, mentions of shownu/soyu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-27
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-08-18 03:47:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 37,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8148154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tostitos/pseuds/tostitos
Summary: Unmotivated business major Minhyuk didn't know what he was expecting when he decided to text the number he picked up from the bathroom outside the psych. hall, but getting attached to an architecture nerd named 'Chae' who used proper punctuation in his texts was not it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> my first mon x fic and it's this piece of trash. please welcome me and my 'hey i found your number in a bathroom stall, let's talk xoxo' shitfic into your lives (-A-)
> 
> broken up into 3 (?) parts so i don't overload you with ~30,000 words of poorly formatted mess
> 
> now available in [russian](https://ficbook.net/readfic/5815731)!!

 

**FROM: 080-5112-8370**

**14/09/26 _11:15am_**

> hey cutie
> 
> what’s up

**FROM: 080-6533-2994**

**14/09/26 _11:33am_**

> Um, who is this? I think you have the wrong number.

**FROM: 080-5112-8370**

**14/09/26 _11:35am_**

> maybe maybe not
> 
> i got your # off one of the stalls in a bathroom at XU

**FROM: 080-6533-2994**

**14/09/26 _11:36am_**

> Well, I’m sorry but, I’m not about to ‘show you a good time’.

**FROM: 080-5112-8370**

**14/09/26 _11:36am_**

> damn crush a guys dreams why don’t you
> 
> no but really
> 
> i was bored
> 
> and i figured texting a stranger would be interesting
> 
> until you block my number
> 
> and then i’ll go back to suffering

**FROM: 080-6533-2994**

**14/09/26 _11:40am_**

> That’s weird.

**FROM: 080-5112-8370**

**14/09/26 _11:41am_**

> okay but you haven’t blocked me yet sooo

**FROM: 080-5112-8370**

**14/09/26 _12:03pm_**

> ?????

**FROM: 080-5112-8370**

**14/09/26 _12:15pm_**

> so your ignoring me now
> 
> at least say goodbye
> 
> i thought we had a ~connection

**FROM: 080-6533-2994**

**14/09/26 _12:35pm_**

> *you’re
> 
> And my class started. Sorry.

**FROM: 080-5112-8370**

**14/09/26 _12:36pm_**

> oh so your a student? :)

**FROM: 080-6533-2994**

**14/09/26 _12:37pm_**

> You said you found my number on Ex University’s campus so obviously.
> 
> I’m thinking about blocking you just because of your shitty grammar.

**FROM: 080-5112-8370**

**14/09/26 _12:37pm_**

> that don’t mean youre a student
> 
> you could be a professor or someone’s random ex
> 
> you a lit major?

**FROM: 080-6533-2994**

**14/09/26 _12:38pm_**

> Architecture.
> 
> But I’m still sensitive to shitty grammar.

**FROM: 080-5112-8370**

**14/09/26 _12:39pm_**

> you should switch to lit
> 
> i’m business

**FROM: 080-6533-2994**

**14/09/26 _12:41pm_**

> You would be business.

**FROM: 080-5112-8370**

**14/09/26 _12:42pm_**

> wow rude
> 
> hey i’m getting lunch w a friend so later

**FROM: 080-6533-2994**

**14/09/26 _12:43pm_**

> I’ll probably block your number, so don’t get your hopes up for ‘later’.

**FROM: 080-5112-8370**

**14/09/26 _12:43pm_**

> </3

 

Minhyuk grabs his bookbag — the one he’s had since high school, fabric fraying and stained beyond repair — and slides the zipper open as his professor wraps up the day’s lecture. He shuffles his notebook and the marketing textbook he only opens the nights before quizzes into the open sack.

“Hey, can I borrow your notes?” he directs to the guy sitting next to him when he finishes zipping up his bag. He offers up his most charming smile and is matched with a look of utter disdain. “Kihyun, don’t make that face. It makes you exceptionally uglier.”

“Fuck you,” Kihyun counters.

He is something like Minhyuk’s best friend but he only claims that title when Minhyuk isn’t annoying him to hell and back which is practically never. They met in their freshman year; Kihyun lived on the floor below him but their roommates were friends. They first bonded over shit-talking their roommates and then they found out they were in the same introductory biology class and further bonded over how terrible at science they were. Now Kihyun is trapped in this friendship no matter how much he wants out.

“Yeah, okay.” As soon as their professor lets them go, Minhyuk rises out of his seat and steps away, watching as the attached chair swings beneath the table. Chatter fills the room as other students do the same and Minhyuk watches them file out as he waits for Kihyun to gather his own belongings. “I only need the stuff from the last, like, twenty minutes,” he says, eying a girl walking up to their TA.

Kihyun heaves a sigh as he gets up, vaguely hipster messenger bag in hand, and weaves around Minhyuk to worm out of the row of seats. “You’re lucky I’m in this class with you. Otherwise, you’d fucking fail.”

Snatching his bookbag and heaving it over his shoulder, Minhyuk quickly follows behind. “Kihyun, the amount of trust you have in my ability to succeed is so heartwarming. I think I’m crying.” He wipes at non-existent tears, accidentally checking someone with his elbow as too many of them try to fit through the same door.

The best thing about having a lecture on the first floor of the building is that there is no need to struggle to maneuver down however many flights of stairs with the hundreds of students trying to leave and the barely on time stragglers trying to go up. The warm September air washes over them as soon as they step outside. Some people are milling about, alone and in groups, and others are rushing to get to their next class. As he and Kihyun walk out in the open expanse of campus, Minhyuk finds his eyes wandering to where the engineering courses are usually held, wondering if his bathroom stall buddy is one of the students trickling out of the building.

The discovery of the number was a weird occurrence in which, somehow, there wasn’t an available urinal when he stopped by the bathroom after his three o’clock ethics class and he had to opt for a stall. The number was faded, probably after many attempts by the cleaning staff to scrub it off, but Minhyuk could still make it (and a drawing of a stick figure with what was probably supposed to be a penis but really just looked like an upside down triangle) out. More interested in the shitty drawing — because all men are capable of drawing a penis, it’s in their DNA — than in what it signified, Minhyuk took a picture of it for his Snap Story. He didn’t realize the number was still readable in the shot until he was looking at his Snaps later on that night. The shitty penis had lost its appeal by then but the number had created new interest. He was sure whoever this number belonged to didn’t write it on that stall (and he wasn’t looking for sex anyway) but an impulse told him to try it.

And if there’s anything Minhyuk has, it’s bad impulse control.

“Hyunwoo wants to know if we want to split a pizza with him,” Kihyun announces, breaking Minhyuk’s attention away from the buildings across the way.

“Ask him if he’s paying,” Minhyuk says, scratching at the inside of his wrist. 

Kihyun opts to call, too lazy to text, and switches over to speaker as soon as Hyunwoo answers with a monotonous ‘yeah?’

“Can we get an ordinary pizza this time or nah?” Minhyuk asks before Kihyun can say anything.

He gets a look for that but Minhyuk isn’t bothered by those anymore.

“Do we have a problem, Minhyuk?” Hyunwoo asks instead.

“I just want to be able to taste the cheese and tomato sauce for once, but it’s nothing personal.”

“Are you ordering now?” Kihyun cuts in.

“I’m in line, yeah,” Hyunwoo answers.

“Then get…” He trails off and looks at Minhyuk.

“Pepperoni!” Minhyuk fills in.

“Get pepperoni for Minhyuk and I’ll eat whatever you get.”

Over the speaker there is a rush of air that is Hyunwoo laughing. “Yeah, okay. I’ll meet you guys at the spot.”

Kihyun hums out an affirmative and hangs up. “You’re a child,” he says as he pockets his phone.

“What? Every time he buys, there’s always a million toppings.” Minhyuk sniffs. “You know I have a sensitive palate.”

“You’re a child,” Kihyun repeats.

 

‘The spot’ is an arbitrary description for any open space in the quad, preferably in the shade of the music building. It’s where they hang out — or attempt to since space is hard to come by — in the downtime between classes when the weather allows. The bench is occupied by some kid lying down, a textbook covering his face; the ledge bordering the wheelchair ramp, though — thankfully, miraculously — is void of people. Shade coverage around the ledge isn’t as good as it is around the bench but it beats sitting in the grass and burning beneath the sun.

Minhyuk leans back, the concrete surface scratching lightly against his palms. Bringing his left foot up to rest on the edge, he tilts his head back toward the sky and closes his eyes. There is a slight warm breeze that picks up and flutters against his skin. He sighs. “I’m never gonna leave this spot.”

“You have biz administration at two,” Kihyun informs. He is perched on top of the ledge rather than the edge like Minhyuk, his legs folded in front of him. “And I’m sure you don’t have any friends in that class to borrow notes from.”

Making friends with anyone in his business administration class — in the entire business department, really — is the last thing Minhyuk wants to do. They’re all snobbish and holier-than-thou which is strange because business is the major you take when you don’t have anything else to do. Or, at least, that’s the case for Minhyuk.

“Speaking of notes,” Minhyuk blinks open his eyes and tilts his head toward Kihyun.

Kihyun rolls his eyes. “I need that notebook for my next class. I’ll give them to you tonight.” He stretches out to lie down and accidentally kicks Minhyuk’s hip in the process. He doesn’t bother to apologize. “I don’t know how you made it this far when you have the attention span of a piece of iceberg lettuce. Who were you texting in class? Who even texts anymore?”

“Don’t you text your mom, like, every night or something?” Minhyuk asks offhandedly. He sways to the left when Kihyun purposefully kicks his side and laughs.

“Don’t bring my mom into this, asshole. She likes to hear about my day.”

Minhyuk reins in his laughter until he’s just grinning. “It was,” he pauses as he searches for the right word, “a friend.”

Picking up on the weird hesitation, Kihyun sits up. He stares at Minhyuk with narrowed, suspicious eyes. “A friend,” he confirms, his tone full with muted question.

Minhyuk shrugs. It’s weird. He and the person from the bathroom — now that he thinks about it, he doesn’t even know what gender they are — are complete strangers. They’re kind of more than strangers. At least with someone you pass on the street, you know what they look like even if you don’t know anything else. Minhyuk knows nothing other than them being an architecture major at this university who cares too much about if Minhyuk uses proper spelling and grammar in his texts.

But it’s nice in a way Minhyuk never would have thought it would be before. His bathroom stall buddy, at least from their short back and forth earlier, is pretty chill. And for some reason they weren’t as disturbed by the text, or the revelation that their number can be found in the second floor men’s near the psychology wing of D Hall. Even if he is the one who started the awkward exchange, Minhyuk expected to be ignored after the first reply. He would have let it go after that, but now he’s curious, wants to actually get to know his bathroom buddy as a person.

“That’s what I said,” replies Minhyuk. He raises his eyebrow at Kihyun’s unconvinced hum. “Can you not?”

“You’re the one being weird. Either they’re your friend or they’re not.” Kihyun snorts.

“That’s not how life works, Kihyun.”

“It is,” replies Kihyun. “Unless you’re dating again and aren’t telling me. Which would be out of character because you like to over-share.”

Minhyuk smiles lightly and closes his eyes again. “You mean you didn’t like hearing about me and Seulgi’s lunch dates?”

“Just hearing about your lunch dates would be fine. I didn’t need to hear about how many times you hooked up on our couch, though, you Jack Frost looking fuck.”

“Kihyunnie, you’re so mean,” Minhyuk whines childishly. “And here I thought I was doing you a favor letting you live vicariously through me since you haven’t been in contact with a vagina since you came out of your mom’s.”

He jumps down from the ledge when Kihyun makes an inhuman sound of rage and scrambles to reach for Minhyuk. Cackling at his friend’s reddening face, Minhyuk backpedals, just in case Kihyun tries to leap off and tackle him.

“We’re in public, you guys.” Hyunwoo comes with a long-suffering sigh.

Minhyuk looks over his shoulder and immediately spots Hyunwoo crossing over the edge of the grassy space and onto the sidewalk beside him, two oily pizza boxes stacked in hand.

“He’s the one acting crazy. I’m innocent.” He jabs his thumb at Kihyun who still looks like he wants to punch him in the throat. He ignores the side-eye Hyunwoo throws his way. “Pass up the goods. I have class in thirty.”

Shaking his head, Hyunwoo holds his hand out and Minhyuk takes the smaller of the two boxes. He moves to sit in the space Minhyuk previously occupied, acting as the middle ground between them as he so often does. He opens the large box to reveal his extra supreme pizza.

Minhyuk pretends to gag as he hops up onto the ledge on the other side of Hyunwoo where Kihyun can’t reach him.

“Can we kick him out of the apartment already?” Kihyun grumbles.

Hyunwoo does that breathy thing he calls a laugh.

Minhyuk rolls his eyes as he rips a slice of plain, cheesy goodness from his small pie. “You’d miss the hell out of me if I left and you know it.”

“I could replace you with an untrained puppy and I probably wouldn’t even notice the difference,” Kihyun assures.

“But you’d have to walk the puppy.” Hyunwoo folds his pizza in half and takes a bite.

Kihyun plucks a mushroom off his slice and gracefully tosses it onto the remaining slices. “A small sacrifice.”

“See! Even you don’t like all that shit on your pizza,” Minhyuk exclaims with a mouthful of cheese, pointing at Kihyun. “Also, if I was gone, who would provide you with quality booze, graciously act as your wingman, and stab you with your Epi-Pen when you eat half a dozen peanut butter cookies like an idiot?”

“You’re a terrible wingman,” Kihyun says. He can’t comment on the other things because they’re true. Minhyuk is too picky to buy cheap alcohol and Hyunwoo freaks out whenever Kihyun has an allergic reaction.

Shaking his head, Minhyuk tuts. “I am a great wingman. You are undesirable and beyond help.”

“He did hook me up with Jihyun,” Hyunwoo adds.

Kihyun sets his half-eaten slice down in the open side of the pizza box and narrows his eyes at Hyunwoo. “Whose side are you on?”

Hyunwoo lifts an eyebrow and says, as if there is no other answer, “The side that can’t afford to pick up the extra cost in rent and utilities.”

Although not serious about kicking Minhyuk out of their place, the appearance of an acceptable reason why Minhyuk can’t leave makes Kihyun pause. He frowns. “Fair enough.”

Poking his head around Hyunwoo’s brick body, as soon as Minhyuk makes eye contact with Kihyun, he blows him a kiss.

Kihyun throws an olive at him.

 

**FROM: 080-5112-8370**

**14/09/30 _04:42pm_**

> hey i think you butt-dialed me

**FROM: 080-6533-2994**

**14/09/30 _04:57pm_**

> Oh, sorry. I don’t know how that happened.

**FROM: 080-5112-8370**

**14/09/30 _05:00pm_**

> it’s whatever
> 
> most importantly
> 
> you haven’t blocked me yet

**FROM: 080-6533-2994**

**14/09/30 _05:01pm_**

> Blocked.

**FROM: 080-5112-8370**

**14/09/30 _05:02pm_**

> im glad you didn’t deny our butter friendship
> 
> *budding

**FROM: 080-6533-2994**

**14/09/30 _05:02pm_**

> To be honest, I didn’t expect you to contact me again.

**FROM: 080-5112-8370**

**14/09/30 _05:04pm_**

> technically you contacted me first with the butt dial

**FROM: 080-6533-2994**

**14/09/30 _05:05pm_**

> I guess.

**FROM: 080-5112-8370**

**14/09/30 _05:07pm_**

> a real conversationalist, you are

**FROM: 080-6533-2994**

**14/09/30 _05:07pm_**

> I don’t actually know you??
> 
> Therefore, I don’t know what there is to even say

**FROM: 080-5112-8370**

**14/09/30 _05:08pm_**

> how about giving me that a/s/l and your name

**FROM: 080-6533-2994**

**14/09/30 _05:08pm_**

> Is this an AOL chatroom from 2001?

**FROM: 080-5112-8370**

**14/09/30 _05:10pm_**

> humor me

**FROM: 080-6533-2994**

**14/09/30 _05:11pm_**

> david
> 
> 45/m/my little pony lair
> 
> hbu?

**FROM: 080-5112-8370**

**14/09/30 _05:11pm_**

> …

**FROM: 080-6533-2994**

**14/09/30 _05:12pm_**

> You’re not getting both my name and all that.

**FROM: 080-5112-8370**

**14/09/30 _05:13pm_**

> just last names then?
> 
> im lee
> 
> 20 years old, the greatest man you’ll ever meet, and hoping to find that special one

**FROM: 080-6533-2994**

**14/09/30 _05:13pm_**

> Chae.
> 
> I’m a simple, also 20 year old guy and I’m really excited to be a contestant on the Bachelor.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/09/30 _05:14pm_**

> i wasn’t expecting that lol

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/09/30 _05:17pm_**

> Oh I’m full of surprises.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/09/30 _05:18pm_**

> is this the part where you tell me you wrote your number up on the stall
> 
> and are actually looking for sex

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/09/30 _05:18pm_**

> Damn, you caught me.
> 
> Usually I have more discreet methods of reeling in strange boys
> 
> But I’m trying to broaden my horizons outside the engineering pool.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/09/30 _05:20pm_**

> im not the faceless hookup type
> 
> but i might be able to make an exception

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/09/30 _05:20pm_**

> diqq pics first !!!
> 
> Sorry
> 
> That was my idiot best friend who thinks we’re actually negotiating a hook up

**FROM: Lee**

**14/09/30 _05:24pm_**

> what a sweet best friend
> 
> keeping your best interests in mind by requesting dick pics
> 
> give me a couple mins to get it up
> 
> wait
> 
> should i wrap it or nah?
> 
> to let em know i practice safe sex?

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/09/30 _05:25pm_**

> I swear to God if you send me a picture of your dick
> 
> I will actually block you

**FROM: Lee**

**14/09/30 _05:25pm_**

> 8====D

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/09/30 _05:27pm_**

> Oh my God. You’re actually 10

**FROM: Lee**

**14/09/30 _05:28pm_**

> you want to know what else is 10?
> 
> inches?

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/09/30 _05:28pm_**

> STOP

**FROM: Lee**

**14/09/30 _05:28pm_**

> my dick

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/09/30 _05:29pm_**

> Goodbye

 

 

“Can you go away?” Hyungwon huffs, locking his phone and dropping it into his lap. He lifts a hand to brush his hair out of his face. It’s getting way too long and he can’t decide if he likes that or not. 

Hoseok all but dissolves, shifting all of his weight onto Hyungwon’s side and forcing them into a weird half-sitting, half-lying down position. “You can’t shut me out. Our relationship doesn’t allow it.”

“I cuddle with you on Saturdays and that’s pretty much the extent of our ‘relationship’.” Hyungwon kicks at Hoseok’s shins until he swings his legs up onto the couch. Once they’re up, Hyungwon does the same and allows them to lie down properly.

“Is that why you’re flirting with some creep who supposedly got your number from a toilet stall?” Hoseok asks. He slings an arm around Hyungwon’s midsection. “I don’t know if you know this, but that is really fucking weird, Hyungwon.”

Hyungwon can’t say anything to that because it is weird. He said that when he received the first message. He does understand Hoseok’s worry. Who would actually contact a number they randomly saw, especially one from a stall, without expecting to get something out of it? Hyungwon doesn’t know which bathroom his number is in or how long it’s been there or who wrote it there and why. But stall numbers are meant to imply open sex and nothing else. No one ever pays them any attention but that person, Lee, did, even though he says he just wants to talk. It doesn’t help that he is too invasive, perverted, and oddly persistent considering the situation.

He seems harmless enough, though. And they’re going by last name. Hyungwon knows how to play the game. Nothing super incriminating; no white, unmarked vans; no taking candy from strangers. They’re on a big campus. The chance of Lee finding him even knowing his major and last name is slim.

There is no real harm in just talking. It’s kind of fun, almost like having a pen-pal. If it gets too uncomfortable, Hyungwon can always block his number like they’ve been joking about. Or go as far as to change his own number even, if he has to. But he hadn’t heard from Lee until the accidental call today, so who knows if they’ll even talk again after this. Hyungwon surely has no plans of initiating a conversation. 

“One,” Hyungwon holds up a finger, “I’m not flirting. Two, I’m pretty sure he’ll never message me again after this.”

“One, you’re never this open with people you’ve just met. Two, he knew it was you who called him because he messaged you about it, so he probably already stored your number in his phone,” Hoseok mimics.

“Or maybe he’s the type of person to let people know when they butt-dial?” Hyungwon can’t help the inflected question in his tone. He doesn’t know if he’s trying to convince Hoseok or himself that this situation is normal.

Sighing, Hoseok reaches for Hyungwon’s hand to thread their fingers and ignores him when he calls out a red card. Instead, he tightens his grip. “All I’m saying is that he’s kind of sketch. Let’s just leave out the manner in which he says he got your number for a second. No one is ever that forward to a stranger unless they’re a conceited douchebag or an online predator. Did you see the way he reacted to my dick pic message?”

Hyungwon tugs at their joined hands before attempting to pry Hoseok’s fingers off. Saturday Cuddling is meant for hugging and spooning not hand-holding. He’ll have to go over the Saturday Cuddling guidelines with Hoseok again. “Yes, because I was the one who responded to it.”

“Predator.” Hoseok trills the ‘t’ sound.

“But most likely just a conceited douchebag,” Hyungwon says, mostly to get on Hoseok’s nerves.

Hoseok unlocks their fingers to pinch the inside of Hyungwon’s wrist. “Hey, you’re an adult, so if you want to talk to him, you can. Just know that I’m going to be in full Protective Best Friend Mode. I’ll be hiding in the bushes when you meet, making sure he doesn’t do anything weird—”

“ _You’re_ weird.” Hyungwon laughs. “You sound like a stalker. My own best friend is more a threat to me than this stranger.”

Hoseok moves the arm from around Hyungwon’s waist to cradle his head and bring it into his chest. Hyungwon yells at him to let go but the sound is muffled by his shirt. “I’m just trying to keep you safe, my son.” He sniffs dramatically. “You’re growing up too fast. Today, you’re chatting up strange boys; tomorrow, you’re having rushed sex in a McDonald’s bathroom.”

“Isn’t that how you lost your virginity?”

Hoseok scoffs like he’s been offended. “No, that was my first blow job. I lost my virginity like any good teenager in the back of my boyfriend’s pick up.”

Hyungwon smacks his lips. “Ah, yes, that’s right. How could I forget about your cliché teen movie deflowering?" 

“I’m honestly hurt you did. Big spoon?”

Heaving a sigh, Hyungwon rolls in Hoseok’s arms until his back is pressed up against the older man’s chest. “You don’t even deserve to be big spoon.”

“And yet, you must respect the law of dibs,” Hoseok says and twines their legs together.

Hyungwon doesn’t only have to review the Saturday Cuddling guidelines with Hoseok again; he also has to revise them. Why did he think it was a good idea to choose cuddling positions based on who yelled them out first?

“I’m guessing your new friend has called it quits?”

Craning his neck backwards, Hyungwon makes sure Hoseok sees his unimpressed expression. “You’re so concerned with me being even vaguely interested in talking to this guy and yet you’re also the only one thinking about him right now.”

“I’m making sure he’s not blowing up your phone, desperately trying to get in your pants.” Hoseok tugs at the elastic waistband of Hyungwon’s sweatpants for emphasis.

Hyungwon swats his hand away. “I need a new cuddling partner,” he grumbles to himself.

Hoseok laughs, sounding every bit of condescending someone can be while still being playful. “Good luck with finding someone. You’re practically a shut-in.”

“I did just fine before I asked you.” Hyungwon says, affronted.

“What about that biomedical kid whose heart you broke because he thought you wanted to go out with him but you were only interested in cuddling? Or when you turned to dating apps but quit because everyone you talked to just wanted to have sex?”

“Shut up, Hoseok.”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Hoseok starts, punctuating each ‘hey’ with a light slap to Hyungwon’s stomach. “Why don’t you ask your new friend to cuddle? I’m sure he and his ten inch dick would be more than happy.”

Barely suppressing an aggravated scream, Hyungwon slips out of Hoseok’s hold and onto the floor in front of the couch. All he wants is to be held and feel warm. Is that so much to ask for? He points in the direction of the front door. “Get out.”

Hoseok chuckles as he sits up. He tosses his arm over the back of the couch and bends his right leg. “This is my house. You’re free to leave, though.”

Hyungwon can feel the frown pulling his eyebrows together. “God, you’re annoying.” He pushes himself up off the floor and shuffles to the kitchen. He is not annoyed enough to go home but he also is no longer in the mood to cuddle. Therefore, the only thing left to do is eat all of Hoseok’s food.

“You love me!” Hoseok calls. The sound of the floorboards creaking tells Hyungwon that Hoseok has gotten up as well.

“Questionable!” he returns, opening the fridge.

Hoseok steps into the kitchen. His bare feet sound like they are sticking to the tile. “My mom’s lasagna should still be in there. Unless Soyu’s fat ass ate it all.”

Jihyun, or Soyu, as Hoseok calls her for some reason, is Hoseok’s childhood best friend and housemate. Hyungwon adores her but she’s often busy and recently found a new boyfriend, so Hyungwon hasn’t seen her around the place the last couple of times he’s been over. “I’ll tell her you called her that.”

“Well, if she kills me, then there is no one to save you from the Predator.” Hoseok shrugs. He comes up behind Hyungwon and knocks him out of the way with his hip. Bending over, he pushes containers and bottles out of the way. 

Rolling his eyes, Hyungwon kicks at Hoseok’s ankle. “For the last time, I have no plans of ever meeting this guy, okay?” He moves out of the way when Hoseok resurfaces with a medium sized plastic bowl.

Hoseok tosses the container onto the counter and reaches for the cabinet where they keep the plates and other dishes. “I know you don’t. But you know I worry like a parent sending their kid off to school for the first time.” He opens the cabinet and pulls out two square, black, stoneware plates. “So it’s either I joke about it to ease my mind or I give you the safety lecture. Do you want the lecture instead?”

“No, dad.” Hyungwon fetches a spoon to dig out the pasta with and hands it over to Hoseok who cracks open the lid covering the lasagna.

“Alright then, Twiggy, stop complaining and tell me how much you want."

 

 

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/03 _02:19pm_**

> did you hear giriboy is coming to campus next month?

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/03 _02:34pm_**

> Oh, yeah, I have a friend who really wants to go.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/03 _02:41pm_**

> are you gonna go

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/03 _02:44pm_**

> Probably not. The ticket lines are always stupid long.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/03 _02:45pm_**

> you right you right

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/06 _07:30pm_**

> if you don’t get back here in 10 there will be hell to pay you little bastard i fucking swear

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/06 _07:31pm_**

> Um…

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/06 _07:31pm_**

> hahaha whoops that was meant for my roommate

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/06 _07:32pm_**

> Please don’t do anything that’ll get you arrested. They’ll bring me into the station thinking I know what happened and I don’t have time for that.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/06 _07:33pm_**

> no promises
> 
>  

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/08 _12:12pm_**

> Do you even go to class? I swear you do nothing but text me all day.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/08 _12:13pm_**

> its called texting in class chae perhaps you’ve done it before

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/08 _12:16pm_**

> Let me rephrase: Do you even pay attention in class? I swear you do nothing but text me all day.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/08 _12:17pm_**

> eh i’m not missing anything

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/08 _12:17pm_**

> Lee…

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/08 _12:18pm_**

> before you ground me and take away my toys, daddy
> 
> let me ask
> 
> are YOU paying attention in class rn???

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/08 _12:18pm_**

> I’m multitasking.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/08 _12:19pm_**

> what a hypocrite

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/08 _12:19pm_**

> I’m an adult. I can do what I want.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/08 _12:21pm_**

> lol then what does that make me. i’m older than you

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/08 _12:22pm_**

> By 2 months…
> 
> I’m worried about you, senpai

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/08 _12:22pm_**

> you say such weird shit sometimes and it throws me off
> 
> because your so lame and nerdy most of the time lol

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/08 _12:26pm_**

> I am neither of those things ?????

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/08 _12:26pm_**

> if you say so sweetheart :)
> 
> it’s okay. i think its cute

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/08 _12:27pm_**

> Is that supposed to make me feel better?

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/08 _12:27pm_**

> yes because my validation is all that matters

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/08 _12:30pm_**

> You’re conceited

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/08 _12:31pm_**

> yes

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/11 _10:04pm_**

> two satellites decided to get married
> 
> the wedding was alright, but the reception was terrible

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/11 _10:06pm_**

> what do you call a fake noodle?
> 
> an impasta

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/11 _10:07pm_**

> why can’t you have a nose that’s 12 inches long
> 
> because then it would be a foot

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/11 _10:09pm_**

> what did the grape do when he got stepped on?
> 
> he let out a little wine

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/11 _10:11pm_**

> i bought shoes from a drug dealer once
> 
> i don’t know what he laced them with but i was tripping all day

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/11 _10:12pm_**

> oh and i have this great joke on paper
> 
> ah nevermind, it’s tearable

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/11 _10:12pm_**

> why can’t you hear the pterodactyl go to the bathroom?
> 
> because the pee is silent

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/11 _10:13pm_**

> You’re so funny hahahaha
> 
> Can you fucking stop? Oh my God.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/11 _10:15pm_**

> you wanted to know if i could make a joke that wasnt vulgar
> 
> im giving you all these gems
> 
> and your still not havin it
> 
> wtf

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/11 _10:21pm_**

> I didn’t ask you to spam me with this shit.
> 
> Don’t make me end this relationship.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/11 _10:23pm_**

> im breaking my back to keep you interested in me you bitch lol

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/11 _10:24pm_**

> These dad jokes aren’t cutting it, sorry to say.
> 
> If your spine hasn’t snapped in half, you’re not doing enough

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/11 _10:24pm_**

> damn why are your standards so high
> 
> RIP me

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/11 _10:25pm_**

> :* 
> 
>  

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/12 _09:34am_**

> hey
> 
> hey
> 
> hey
> 
> wake up
> 
> you have a study group to go to in an hour
> 
> wake up
> 
> zoijdhs
> 
> ioeije
> 
> jojfd
> 
> are you up yet?

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/12 _09:45am_**

> YES
> 
> STOP
> 
> JESUS

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/12 _09:46am_**

> your welcome

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/12 _09:52am_**

> I had a dream my design professor was telling me shitty jokes because of you.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/12 _09:54am_**

> mission success

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/12 _09:54am_**

> I hate you.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/12 _09:54am_**

> love you too babe

 

The bathroom is filled with steam when Minhyuk draws back the Doraemon shower curtain and steps onto the fluffy, orange bath mat lining the tub. His black towel hangs on the edge of the sink counter and he snatches it. After he dries off, he slathers on lotion and thinks about what he has to do today. He has a book analysis he needs to email to his literature professor before midnight. He also needs to draft an idea for his advertising presentation, message Hyunseong about the project they’re supposed to start working on, and do a million and one readings. Kihyun, the baby hipster, suggested they go to this local coffee shop with all organic snacks instead of the library, spouting out things about proper studying atmosphere and brain food.

Minhyuk wraps the towel around his waist and exits the bathroom. His and Kihyun’s bedroom is down the short hall on the left, across from Hyunwoo’s. Their door is open, smooth jazz filtering out into the hallway.

Kihyun, lying cross-legged, doesn’t look up from his bed in the right corner when Minhyuk walks in, face solid in concentration as he scrolls his finger down the screen of the phone in his hands.

Minhyuk wipes the water dripping down the side of his face, his hair still wet, and hones in on the familiar gray case enveloping the phone in his roommate’s hands. “What the hell are you doing with my phone? How did you even figure out my passcode?” He moves to their shared dresser — he uses the top two drawers and Kihyun uses the bottom two — and pulls out a pair of black boxer briefs. He drops his towel just as Kihyun looks up but Kihyun has walked in on Minhyuk in various states of undress before and Minhyuk is nothing if not shameless and so neither of them react.

“Your tiny brain can handle a password that’s only but so difficult for you to remember,” Kihyun says, deadpan. He turns his attention back to the phone. “I wanted to know who you’ve been texting. Why didn’t you tell me about this guy? You know I don’t care who you’re dating and you always tell me about the girls.”

Snorting as he pulls out the second drawer, Minhyuk searches for a shirt to wear. “We wouldn’t have been friends for this long if you had a problem with me, Straight Boy.” He picks out a white tee with a stylized graphic of the New York skyline across the chest. “I didn’t tell you about him because we’re not dating,” he explains and pulls the shirt over his head, careful of his hair. 

“You’re not dating _yet_.”

“We’re not dating ever. Haven’t you ever heard of friends? Oh, shit, maybe you haven’t. You see, Kihyun, friends are people who—” He erupts into laughter when Kihyun chucks one of his pillows at him. “I’m serious. I don’t even know what he looks like and you know I’m shallow like that.”

Kihyun sits up at his words and eyes him suspiciously. “What do you mean you don’t know what he looks like?”

Maneuvering around all of the shit ranging from books to dirty clothes they (read: Minhyuk) have scattered on the floor, Minhyuk goes to their closet to pull out the first pair of pants he sees. Black skinnies. He shrugs. “I don’t know what he looks like. We’ve never met face to face.”

Kihyun’s brows are knit in confusion when Minhyuk turns around with one leg in his jeans. “Is he like a Tinder match or something?”

“Or something? A bathroom stall, Tinder…Same thing, am I right?”

Silence falls between them as Minhyuk finishes getting dressed. It isn’t until Minhyuk is plugging in his hairdryer that Kihyun responds.

“Lee Minhyuk.”

Minhyuk flicks the dryer onto high power.

“No, no, no, no,” Kihyun chants over the sound of the air blowing. He hops off his bed and stomps across their small room. He isn’t strong enough to rip the dryer from Minhyuk’s hands, so he goes for the plug.

Minhyuk frowns. “Can I help you?”

“I know you do a lot of stupid shit, but what the actual fuck, Minhyuk?”

“Kihyun, let me live. We just talk. He’s cool.” Cool is not the right word — fun to annoy, endearing, maybe, but he doesn’t want to give Kihyun the wrong idea.

Either way, his roommate is still wary. “You ‘just talk’? It didn’t seem like you were ‘just talking’,” says Kihyun.

The frown on Minhyuk’s face blooms into a lazy smile. He curls his fingers around the cord of the dryer and tugs. It slips out of Kihyun’s hands. “That’s our dynamic,” he says and leans over the side of his bed to plug the dryer back in. “Like how I always make fun of your entire sad existence and you fail at retaliating.”

Kihyun rolls his eyes. “In the messages I read, you did nothing but flirt. You can’t call that a ‘dynamic’.”

“I can and I do and it is. Us talking is literally nothing. If you don’t believe me, that’s not my problem.” Shrugging, Minhyuk turns the dryer back on. He is surprised when Kihyun tosses his phone into his lap and returns to his own bed.

“That’s it? You haven’t cursed me out enough yet,” Minhyuk yells over the noise.

Lying on his back, Kihyun kicks his right leg around in an abstract gesture. “I’m saving it for later because I want to make sure there’s somewhere to sit at the cafe. And Hyunwoo will be home by then to back me up.”

“I’m really glad I went to school six hours away from home to escape the ‘rents just so you and Hyunwoo could fill in the gap,” Minhyuk mutters under his breath. His words are lost within the noise of the dryer.

It takes ten minutes for Minhyuk’s hair to dry after being blasted with air so hot it burns any patch of skin it’s directed at for too long. When he finishes, Kihyun is shoving books into his shoulder bag and mouthing along to the song playing through the speakers. He put on some mellow indie music no one but him has ever heard of before.

Minhyuk unplugs the hair dryer and leaves it sitting on his bed. He watches Kihyun for a second, and then he eyes the room for his own book bag. He thought he left it by the door, but it seems Kihyun has moved his stuff, again. Leaning over the edge of his bed, he spies it propped up against their tall, white, plastic storage unit. With a muted sigh — there’s no point in arguing with his roommate about his things being moved around — he reaches over to grab it, just barely able to wrap his fingers around the strap.

“Okay, so, I know I said I was going to let it go until later, but I need to ask one thing: were you the one who started it?” Kihyun asks, buckling the snap on his bag.

Minhyuk chuckles. “Don’t ask questions you already know the answer to.”

“Of course,” Kihyun scoffs.

 

“So, why are we staging an intervention?” Hyunwoo questions. He easily lifts Minhyuk’s legs up and off the couch and slides into the now open space.

Minhyuk wastes no time in kicking his legs over Hyunwoo’s lap. “I’m wondering the same thing,” he says without taking his eyes off his phone. He’s scrolling through his twitter feed lazily, completely uninterested in whatever is supposed to be happening.

He and Kihyun returned home about half an hour ago after spending about four hours cooped up in Hipster Hell. To be fair, he did get a decent amount of work done even if he was being assaulted by the smell of sandalwood incense burning the entire time. And Minhyuk isn’t a tea person but their jasmine blend was pretty nice.

Hyunwoo was in his room, blasting early 2000s R&B, when they arrived, but Kihyun was gracious enough to let Minhyuk eat the two chicken tacos he picked up on the way back in peace before asking Hyunwoo to join them in the living room.

Kihyun crosses his arms, leaning back in the soft, circular, lime green scoop chair he’s deemed the only safe place to sit since Minhyuk revealed the number of times he’s had sex on the couch. Minhyuk cackles to himself every time Kihyun sits there because Minhyuk has done it there to, he just never said anything. Kihyun would probably demand they replace every piece of furniture they have and ban Minhyuk from coming within arms length of everything if he found out.

“Because Frosty the Snowman over there—”

“Clever,” Minhyuk interjects with a snort.

“—has resorted to preying on innocent strangers and you know he never listens to me,” Kihyun explains.

“’Preying’ is such a strong, and also incorrect, word to use.” Minhyuk lowers his phone from his face and angles his head back to send Kihyun a blank look.

Hyunwoo raises his hand from his corner of the couch. “Can I get a proper explanation?” he asks, but he sounds like he doesn’t care. He probably doesn’t. Unless someone is at risk of getting hurt, he has a habit of going with the flow. Minhyuk does get into trouble often, but Kihyun also has a tendency to exaggerate.

“Minhyuk—”

“Okay, so, I ended up with this guy’s phone number, right?” Minhyuk cuts Kihyun off before he even starts. “And it just so happens that I came across his number in the bathroom in D Hall. Well, I got bored one day and decided to text him for the hell of it and he responded and now we’re friends. That’s it.”

“Minhyuk does nothing but _flirt_ ,” Kihyun stresses. “Like I can’t even imagine how uncomfortable the kid he’s talking to is. It’s hardcore flirting, like the kind you do before you ask someone to come home with you. And what if he’s not even who he says he is. That’s how you get infections or, most importantly, _murdered_ , Minhyuk.”

Brushing Minhyuk’s legs off his lap, Hyunwoo lifts his hips to dig his wallet out of his pocket.

“You talk about me being stupid, but at least I have the common sense to know you’re wrong on both accounts,” Minhyuk says. His voice cracks at the end in surprise when something slaps his chin. Angling his head down, he feels for the unidentified flying object and brushes his fingers against a square packet. He raises it into his eye sight and lifts one corner of his lips at Hyunwoo in a lazy smirk.

“Use it. Get tested regularly,” advises Hyunwoo with a sage nod.

Kihyun bends over and slips his socks off his feet. Balling them together, he chucks them at Hyunwoo who laughs. “Are you fucking kidding me, Hyunwoo? You’re supposed to be the voice of reason.”

“It’s valuable advice.” Hyunwoo shrugs. He looks at Minhyuk who is inspecting the condom.

“It’s kind of funny because this is actually my size,” Minhyuk notes.

“I still don’t understand what’s going on but, Minhyuk,” Hyunwoo pauses and Minhyuk looks up at him with a raised brow, “don’t come on too strong and scare him away. You’re good at that. And if there are feelings involved, don’t be afraid to talk about them. You suck at that.”

Kihyun melts into the scoop chair with a groan, dragging his hands down his face.

Sitting up, Minhyuk folds his legs into a pretzel. He fiddles with the edge of the plastic wrapper and shoots Kihyun a glance full of amusement. “You know, in retrospect, I don’t know why I thought this would turn out in your favor when Hyunwoo is basically the definition of a ‘cool dad.’”

“I guess I’ll take that as a compliment?” Hyunwoo says but his voice lilts like he can’t tell if being a ‘cool dad’ is a good thing.

Kihyun glares at him.

“Nobody likes a helicopter dad, Kihyun.” Minhyuk tsks playfully. “But, cheer up. I’m sure this’ll be a great story to tell your mom during your nightly texts.”

“Stop talking about my mom, you fuck.”

  

 

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/16 _04:57pm_**

> What do you think about handicap accessibility on campus?

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/16 _05:15pm_**

> uh idk
> 
> there are a lot of buildings with stairs leading ot the entrance so its not really wheelchair friendly?

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/16 _05:32pm_**

> That’s great. Thanks!

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/21 _09:48pm_**

> If you’re up at 1, could you text me and tell me to go home so I don’t end up sleeping in the library again?

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/21 _09:50pm_**

> you do realize you just revealed your location to me right

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/21 _09:51pm_**

> As if you’d step foot in the library, you creep.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/21 _09:51pm_**

> trueeee.
> 
> i got you. study hard <3

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/21 _09:52pm_**

> lol I’ll try. Thanks <3

 

 

“Can I get a grande caramel white mocha with nonfat milk, no foam, heavy whip, and caramel drizzle at 190 degrees?”

Hyungwon stares at the woman on the other side of the counter blankly, hoping his dead expression will draw some kind of guilt within her for ordering such a thing. By the way her powder pink lips dip into a frown and a line starts to crease her brow, it doesn’t work. 

“A grande caramel white mocha, nonfat, ix nay on the foam, extra whip, and caramel drizzle?” he recites while he reaches for a cup and a marker to scribble the order. He tries to keep his customer service voice on now that his customer service face is out of order.

“Can I get a name?”

“Dasom,” she replies.

He slides the cup over to where Changkyun is chatting up one of the girls sitting at the bar as he finishes making a chai latte. “Would you like to try any of our wonderful cakes or breads today as well?” he asks as he keys in the order.

Dasom glances at the display briefly before shaking her head. She opens up her wallet as Hyungwon reads off the total.

He knows the exact moment Changkyun picks up the cup to start the new order because there’s a mumbled ‘fuck this job’ just loud enough for Hyungwon to hear. It brings a slight smile to his face after primarily working bar during the lunch rush. Nothing says bonding between Starbucks employees like the mutual hate for their job.

“It’ll be just a minute,” he says. He watches Dasom move down the line to wait at the bar and sighs.

“Long day?”

Blinking, Hyungwon notices the man who has just stepped in front of his register. He looks one part sympathetic and two parts amused. At least someone can still find joy in this place.

“What would make you think so? I’m practically the poster child for job satisfaction,” Hyungwon replies, completely deadpan.

The guy laughs at response, all wide grin and eyes crinkled in mirth. It’s kind of an overreaction but Hyungwon still feels his lips raise into a small smile.

“What can I get for you?” he asks, sounding a lot more personable.

“Just a grande iced Americano. I have a four hour class in fifteen minutes and I don’t think I’m gonna make it through.”

Hyungwon winces as he keys in the order and grabs the appropriated sized cup. “That’s rough.”

“Tell me about it.” The customer runs his head through his hair. It’s a bright white and looks softer than Hyungwon assumed something so vivid should be. He’s kind of cute. Hyungwon feels a little starstruck, but it’s probably just the hair; he’s wearing nothing special, just an all black ensemble of a tee and jeans with a maroon (one of their school colors) hoodie tied around his waist.

Smiling, Hyungwon picks up the marker. “Can I have your name for the order?”

“Minhyuk.”

As he writes, Minhyuk speaks up again.

“Does that happen often?”

Hyungwon looks up and sees that Minhyuk is looking to the right. He follows his gaze to where Dasom is waiting for her drink, keeping herself occupied with her phone. He snorts. “That’s actually not so bad; we just hate ‘no foam’ requests. You wouldn’t believe some of the shit—” Hyungwon brings his hand to his mouth, “— some of the _stuff_ people ask for. There’s a guy who comes in every other day during the morning rush for a venti, quad, half-caff, half-soy, half-nonfat, two pumps vanilla, two point five pumps white mocha, two scoops chocolate, extra dry cappuccino with extra chocolate drizzle.”

“I have no idea what you just said to me.” A small half-smile pulls at Minhyuk’s lips.

The door opening catches Hyungwon’s attention and he watches a group of three girls walk in. “Just know that you should never apply to work for this place,” he says before reading off Minhyuk’s total. As Minhyuk rummages for his wallet, Hyungwon fills the cup with ice and water.

“I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to say that to me as an employee,” says Minhyuk. He slides a bill over the counter.

Sliding the cup over to Changkyun for the espresso, Hyungwon snorts. “I can say what I want for the dust they pay me.” He counts out the change and places it, as well as the receipt, in Minhyuk’s outstretched hand.

Minhyuk laughs. “Stay sane, man.”

“Yeah.” Hyungwon offers up a smile. “Good luck with class.”

After dropping his change into the charity donation box, Minhyuk leaves the register with a smile and a slight wave.

Hyungwon really hates this job, but the easy small-talk with some of the cute boys who come in sometimes makes it worth it.


	2. Chapter 2

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/27 _07:31pm_**

> you butt-dialed me again

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/27 _08:09pm_**

> My bad lol

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/27 _08:15pm_**

> how big is your ass that you can call me like this

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/27 _08:19pm_**

> Not very?? I have a bit of dancer’s butt, but it’s not like I’m even remotely gifted in the ass department.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/27 _08:22pm_**

> giving me details about your appearance? is this the turning point in our relationship

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/27 _08:23pm_**

> No, there’s just no way you’d be able to ID me by my ass.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/27 _08:26pm_**

> you doubt my skills
> 
> be on the lookout for me

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/10/27 _08:30pm_**

> Yeah, okay. I'm going to finish studying if you don’t mind.

 

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/03 _01:54pm_**  

> wish me happy birthday

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/03 _01:59pm_**

> Happy Birthday

**FROM: Lee**

**14/10/03 _02:01pm_**

> with enthusiasm?

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/03 _02:06pm_**

> !!!
> 
> What are you doing today, old man?

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/03 _02:08pm_**

> we’re literally the same age
> 
> short stack and hyunwoo are buying me dinner but that’s it
> 
> im too poor to have fun

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/03 _02:13pm_**

> I’m sure Kihyun (?) doesn’t appreciate being called Short Stack.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/03 _02:14pm_**

> i havent cared about what kihyun likes since freshman yr sooooo

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/03 _02:15pm_**

> What a great friend. All the awards go to you, Lee.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/03 _02:16pm_**

> thanks :)
> 
> i try my best
> 
> what are you getting me for my birthday?

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/03 _02:17pm_**

> What do you want?

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/03 _02:17pm_**

> y o u
> 
> wrapped in silk ribbon
> 
> with a little bow headband

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/03 _02:18pm_**

> Sexy mummy cosplay?

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/03 _02:18pm_**

> fuck yeah babe
> 
> nothing gets me hard like the preserved dead

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/03 _02:30pm_**

> Oh my God, Lee.
> 
> I actually laughed out loud and now everyone thinks that I think bridges collapsing are funny.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/03 _02:31pm_**

> this is why u shouldnt text in class sweetheart

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/03 _02:31pm_**

> Fuck you.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/03 _02:32pm_**

> i would’ve been satisfied with cosplay
> 
> and maybe some petting but sure
> 
> its been a while since ive gotten dick for my birthday

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/03 _02:35pm_**

> I’m blocking you.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/03 _02:35pm_**

> babe
> 
> don’t be drastic 

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/03 _02:36pm_**

> Blocked.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/03 _02:37pm_**

> you haven’t blocked me if your responding

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/03 _02:37pm_**

> This is an automated message.
> 
> Blocked.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/03 _02:38pm_**

> lol your cute

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/03 _02:39pm_**

> Flattery will get you nowhere.
> 
> Blocked.

 

Working the front desk of the business department is easy money for minimal work. No one other than fellow business majors or professors ever come to the department, so all Minhyuk does during his Monday-Wednesday-Thursday shifts is laze around and answer the phone if it rings.

He swings around in his plush, black office chair. His astronomy workbook is lying out on the desk in front of him, open to pages full of exercise questions and charts to fill out. He has another hour and a half until his shift ends and he has to make his way across campus to his class. He only has to do the first five problems, but he can’t find it in himself to focus.

Resting his pencil in the dip above his upper lip, Minhyuk leans his head back to balance it. It works for all of three seconds before the pencil clatters to the ground. He doesn’t bother to pick it up because at that moment, someone walks into the wing.

“Nice to see you working hard, Minhyuk,” Professor Go Junggi says, walking up to the front desk. He’s one of Minhyuk’s past professors and teaches most of the freshman-oriented lectures.

Minhyuk raises his hand in a salute. “Always. There’s so much to do but I manage, you know.”

Professor Go isn’t so much older than Minhyuk — compared to Minhyuk’s other professors, a thirteen year difference is nothing — but his smile is almost fatherly. “Well, I won’t hold you up since you’re so busy.” He taps the desk in front of where Minhyuk’s workbook lays, the reminder to actually get his school work done clear in his raised brow.

The professor leaves the front desk to continue down the hall to his office when Minhyuk remembers the brown cardboard box too big for the staff mailboxes sitting on the corner of the desk. “Wait, Junggi!” He grabs the box and quickly scans over the shipping label to make sure the name is correct. He lifts it into view when the professor turns around with a hum. “This came for you earlier.”

Professor Go returns to the desk to take the package. “Ah, that’s right. I forgot this was supposed to come today.” He tucks the box beneath his arm.

Minhyuk tuts. “You’re too young to be forgetting things like that, Junggi.”

“Stop mocking me and do your homework. I want you to graduate on time next year. I’m tired of seeing your face around here.” Professor Go smiles and waves as he walks to his office.

Not at all offended, Minhyuk just laughs. Alone once again, he drags his phone in front of him and presses the home button. A beautiful two minutes has passed. Groaning, Minhyuk turns to jelly in the chair and tilts his head back against the top edge.

He wonders how Chae is doing — if he’s in class or if he’s cooped up at home, cocooned in his blankets. The day before, Chae said he wasn’t feeling well, that his head was foggy and everything hurt and he kept going between uncomfortably hot and extremely cold. Always willing to help a friend, Minhyuk offered to lay chest to chest with him to lower his fever but that led to Chae responding with ‘ _you’d like that wouldn’t you_ ’ and then ending every other text he sent with ‘ _perv : <_’.

Waking up his phone, Minhyuk checks his text inbox even though he knows Chae hasn’t sent anything. Maybe Minhyuk should start the chain today. Eyes darting to the time at the top of the screen, Minhyuk sighs and taps back to the home screen. Or maybe he should do his work. He pushes his phone off to the side and drags his workbook closer.

“Pencil. Where’s my pencil?” he mumbles to himself. His eyes scan over his desk and drop down to his lap before he remembers his balancing act.

Leaning over the side of the chair, the arm digging into his obliques, Minhyuk picks up the pencil. He twirls it between his fingers as he stares at his workbook.

“Let’s go, Lee Minhyuk.” He tries to hype himself up. “You’re not a dog. You can focus for more than twenty seconds. You can do this.”

 

Whether or not Minhyuk actually did ‘do it’ is arguable. By the time he’s free to leave the front desk, all five of the questions in his workbook are finished. However, he only properly completed the first three before googling the answers to the last two. In his defense, the last two problems were related to what his professor went over in the last class and Minhyuk had no idea what was coming out of that woman’s mouth during that entire fifty minute lesson. He’ll probably end up shooting his TA an email at some point. Maybe. If he remembers.

But finished homework is finished homework and, as a reward, Minhyuk takes the long way to the science building to stop by Starbucks. The coffee chain is actually in the opposite direction and with twenty minutes until his Astronomy class starts, Minhyuk will probably be late. But he wants to get a vanilla latte (and hopefully see the cute barista from the last time).

It won't be the first time he strolls into the small, yet filled to the max classroom late and it definitely won't be the last.

Starbucks at this time is pretty busy, apparently, because when Minhyuk pushes open the doors, he immediately finds himself in a line of about ten people. Normally, he wouldn't bother waiting -- he's too high-energy, too jittery, and too impatient -- but he's already walked the distance. If he's going to risk losing a seat in his favorite section of the classroom, he's getting that vanilla latte (and hopefully a glimpse of the cute barista). While he stands in line, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, Minhyuk pulls out his phone to do a quick scan of Facebook and Twitter. There's a million posts in the Class of 2015 Facebook group about people trying to sell and trying to buy tickets for Giriboy's mini concert next week. Minhyuk likes Giriboy's music, but not enough to pay close to a hundred dollars for a ticket when the school was selling them for twenty five. When he scrolls down to posts he's already read, he returns to the home screen.

The line shuffles forward slowly but surely. Glancing to the top of the screen, Minhyuk checks the time. There is another ten minutes before his class starts. There are still four people between him and the register, which means he'll probably be by the bar, waiting for his drink when class starts. The walk back will be another five to ten minutes so he should slip into the classroom about fifteen minutes late. By then, the warm-up will be done and he'll have to beg his professor not to mark him as absent since she refuses to acknowledge anyone who walks in after the warm-up.

But, then again, he's never really cared for participation points when they're only worth ten percent of his grade anyway.

The woman in front of him heaves a sigh and Minhyuk stops himself from mumbling out 'same' as he pockets his phone. He rocks back on his heels. There is one person working the register and what looks like two people manning the bar. When the woman in front of him steps in front of the register, another employee slips behind the second register.

"I can help the next person," the second cashier says, meeting Minhyuk's eyes as he swerves around the woman to the next register.

Minhyuk recognizes him as the kid who usually makes his drinks whenever he comes in. He seems cool. Too bad the tall, pretty boy isn’t here.

There’s a weird beat of silence that passes between them and the kid — Minhyuk drops his eyes to his nametag; it reads Changkyun — behind the counter raises his brows. It takes another second for it to click.

“Did I say that out loud?”

Changkyun’s mouth tugs into something halfway between a genuine smile and an uncomfortable grimace. “Yeah.”

Minhyuk shakes his head at himself. “Wow, excellent work, Minhyuk,” he says to himself.

"I'll be sure to tell Hyungwon he has an admirer," Changkyun says, but there is something is his voice that suggests he's still unsure if he should be joking or not.

"Is that his name?" Minhyuk asks, more to himself than Changkyun. "But, yeah, no, don't. I don't need him to think I'm a stalker or something." He sighs, running his hand through his hair. That's a surefire way to make sure Hyungwon, if they're talking about the same person and that is his name, never looks in Minhyuk's direction ever again. It also would mean Minhyuk would have to stop coming to this Starbucks, which would suck because it’s the one closest to where his classes are.

Trying to get the exchange back on the right track, Minhyuk glues his eyes to the menu overhead and gives the order for his latte and his name. He looks down to see the Changkyun ringing in the order and writing out the cup for the, now solo, person behind the bar.

"Stalkers never worry about looking like a stalker, so I guess you might be alright,” Changkyun says before reading out the total.

Shrugging his bookbag off his shoulder to grab his wallet from the front pocket, Minhyuk replies, “Your logic is flawed.” He opens the pleather case and digs out a couple of bills. He slides them over the counter. “But I’m glad I got your approval and won’t have to deal with being glared at by everyone who works here when I come in because they think I’m a creep.”

Changkyun counts the money and puts it into the register. “It’s not really approval, but I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt because I recognize you and you’ve never given me the wrong impression before.” He hands Minhyuk his change.

Minhyuk assorts the bills back into his wallet and drops the coins into the donation box like he always does. “Either way, I’ll take it.”

“Try and work on not blurting out your thoughts if you want to prove you’re not a creep next time.” Changkyun offers a half-smile.

Minhyuk tilts his head to the side with a light smile of his own. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Changkyun laughs soundlessly. “See you around.”

Nodding, Minhyuk moves down the counter to wait for his drink. He pulls out his phone to check the time. He’s three minutes late and counting.

He didn’t get to see the cute barista and he’s probably on the campus Starbucks’ watch list, no matter how somewhat nonchalant Changkyun was about Minhyuk’s slip of tongue, but the detour still feels like it was worth it.

 

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/08 _10:36pm_**

> do you ever think about us?

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/08 _10:40pm_**

> Um…?

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/08 _10:41pm_**

> not like that
> 
> i mean how close we are

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/08 _10:41pm_**

> We’re close?

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/08 _10:42pm_**

> wowwwww what a dick

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/08 _10:43pm_**

> :*
> 
> But, yeah, I do. Sometimes.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/08 _10:43pm_**

> yeah?

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/08 _10:44pm_**

> Why’d you ask?
> 
> Are you thinking about me? ;*

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/08 _10:44pm_**

> heavy on the kiss emoticons today aren’t we?

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/08 _10:45pm_**

> Are they making your heart go doki doki?

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/08 _10:45pm_**

> lol nah

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/08 _10:45pm_**

> If you say so.
> 
> Also, I see you’re avoiding the question.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/08 _10:47pm_**

> yes chae your all i think about 24/7

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/08 _10:48pm_**

> I knew it.
> 
> That’s why you text me so often.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/08 _10:50pm_**

> yes i’m obsessed
> 
> little did you know, i know everything about you
> 
> your first name, where you live, your bank account info, your social security number

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/08 _10:50pm_**

> You sound like you’re going to steal my identity, not like you’re madly in love with me.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/08 _10:51pm_**

> i’ll love you good and then take all your assets
> 
> like a true businessman

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/08 _10:55pm_**

> Wow. I was on the fence before…
> 
> But now I’m sure I can’t accept you.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/08 _10:59pm_**

> #friendzoned

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/08 _10:59pm_**

> :*

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/08 _11:02pm_**

> don’t tease me with affection if your just going to reject me

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/08 _11:06pm_**

> Sorry. I won’t lead you on anymore.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/08 _11:06pm_**

> thank you for sparing my heart

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/08 _11:08pm_**

> What were we talking about before this?

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/08 _11:09pm_**

> it doesn’t matter
> 
> idk where i was going with that question

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/08 _11:11pm_**

> We side-tracked pretty quickly.
> 
> Hey, I have to go. Best friend just came over because he’s been kicked out and he’ll get pissy if I don’t pay attention to his rants.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/08 _11:11pm_**

> damn sucks to be him
> 
> have fun
> 
> don’t do anything i wouldn’t do

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/08 _11:16pm_**

> Unlike you, I’m pure.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/08 _11:16pm_**

> whatever helps you sleep at night babe 

 

The wait time for the breakfast joint two blocks down from Hyungwon and Changkyun’s apartment isn’t as long as it usually is, so the two housemates (plus the leech of the night, Hoseok) camp in the seats lining the entrance until a table is called fifteen minutes later.

The eatery is local, quaint, and the only place this side of campus that sells breakfast food other than McDonalds. On most days, it’s packed in the morning, but they must have been struck by luck and came at a lull in the rush. The interior is homey, all pastel shades and warm browns and sugary syrup smells.

Hyungwon pulls out the chair closest to the wall and Changkyun falls into place beside him. Hoseok takes the seat across from Changkyun, whining about how Hyungwon’s legs take up too much space. The menus are kept in a rack at the end of the table, pressed against the wall, and Hyungwon takes out three to distribute among them, rolling his eyes.

“Don’t men keep growing until they’re twenty-five? You still have time,” he says, smiling as he slaps the laminated menu onto the table in front of his best friend.

Hoseok flips him off and open the menu.

Hyungwon’s smile doesn’t falter and he slides a menu over to Changkyun who chuckles amusedly. They don’t talk much as they look through their options. Hyungwon can hear Changkyun mumbling to himself over if he wants pancakes or waffles. Hyungwon think he’s going to go with a cheese and tomato omelet, simple yet satisfying.

While they decide, a waitress in a nice black polo, khaki pants combo drops by to get their drink order of two glasses of water and one glass of orange juice.

“I just want to go home, take a shower, and lay in my own bed.” Hoseok sighs and flips his menu closed. He returns it to the rack and leans over the table on his elbows. He hasn’t stopped complaining since he showed up at Hyungwon and Changkyun’s place the night before with a book bag and the explanation that Soyu had claimed their apartment for her and her boyfriend.

“I’m so glad you’ve never sexiled me without notice,” says Changkyun to Hyungwon without taking his eyes off the menu.

Hyungwon ruffles the younger boy’s hair. “This is why you should me nicer to me. So you don’t end up like Hoseok, out on the street because he’s worth less than sex.”

Hoseok flips him off again and turns to Changkyun. “He’s never kicked you out because he’s drier than the Sahara.”

Rolling his eyes, Hyungwon closes his menu. He’s not going to bother responding to that. It’s not worth the effort.

At that moment, the waitress returns with their drinks and asks if they’re ready to order. They ramble off their desired dishes — Changkyun ultimately decides to get chocolate chip pancakes — and smile at her gratefully when she tells them their food will be out soon and heads back to send the order to the kitchen.

Lying back down on his arms, Hoseok eyes Hyungwon who returns his and Changkyun’s menus to the rack. “Do you still talk to that guy? The Predator?”

Hyungwon tiredly rubs his face. “Can you stop calling him that?” he asks into his hands.

Changkyun makes a noise of confused interest. “What is this about a predator?”

“Hyungwon has been talking to this guy who got his number out of one of the bathrooms here and is probably some recently divorced professor looking for young boys to cure his loneliness,” Hoseok answers.

Dropping his hands, Hyungwon gives Hoseok an exasperated look for his outrageous assumption.

Changkyun looks at him, his eyebrows raised high behind his cropped bangs. “Damn, I know I say you’re boring all the time, but I didn’t think this would be the way you’d prove me wrong.”

Hyungwon frowns. He really doesn’t want Changkyun to think he is hitting up middle aged men like a sugar baby in the making, but he also doesn’t want to have this talk right now. “First of all, I’m not boring. Secondly, don’t listen to Hoseok. The guy I talk to is our age. Either way, I don’t really take this thing all that seriously,” he says.

It’s a small (read: huge) lie; he’s kind of attached to Lee’s digital presence in his life, but neither of them need to know that. Especially not Hoseok. He’s still joking but if Hyungwon was to tell him that, he’d switch to full on Worry Mode and probably change Hyungwon’s phone number behind his back or something. Hyungwon likes his phone number. Hyungwon likes talking to Lee. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

“Is that what you do with your phone these days? Not that you weren’t already glued to your phone before.” Changkyun asks.

Hyungwon sighs. He leans back in the chair and tosses his head back. The ceiling is painted a pale pink. “What does it matter?”

Changkyun taps his fingers against his glass of orange juice. “It doesn’t.” The tapping stops for a second before beginning again. “I don’t really care who exactly you’re talking to, to be honest. I was just curious because sometimes, when you look at your phone, you get this look on your face.”

Embarrassment flares beneath Hyungwon’s collar and he opens his mouth to question what exactly Changkyun means but Hoseok beats him to the punch.

“What kind of look?” His eyes are narrowed and they flicker back and forth between the two housemates before finally settling on Hyungwon. Another wave of heat washes over the architecture student and if he’s blushing, he’s not super red yet because Hoseok doesn’t say anything about it.

Changkyun just makes a strange noise of uncertainty, lifting his shoulders in a light shrug. “You don’t look like you’re head over heels or anything like that, but… I don’t know, it’s like this soft look. I can’t really explain it. It’s nice seeing you like that, after what happened with the last guy and all, so as long as you’re being safe, it’s not my business to get on your case about how weird the situation is.”

“Soft,” Hoseok repeats, nothing but judgment lacing his tone.

“You made it worse, Changkyun. Thanks,” Hyungwon whispers to the youngest man.

He didn’t think he looked any different when he texted Lee but months of working and living with Changkyun has caused them to be very in tune with one another. The softness may not be anything obvious, just something small that Changkyun can read, but Hoseok probably thinks he makes heart-eyes at his phone now.

Changkyun throws him a toothy, boyish grin. “You’re welcome.”

Hyungwon loops his arm around Changkyun’s neck and play-chokes him. “You’re a pest.”

“Soft,” Hoseok emphasizes again.

“The Predator and I are friends, Hoseok. Let it go.”

“He kind of looks at you like that too,” Changkyun pitches in, slipping from beneath Hyungwon’s arm. “When you’re cuddling.”

Hoseok grimaces. “That’s because he gets in this weird headspace.”

Hyungwon clicks his tongue. “Don’t talk about it like it’s a kink.”

“It is,” both Changkyun and Hoseok reply without hesitation.

Rolling his eyes again, Hyungwon only sinks farther into his seat and crosses his arms. He lets Changkyun placate Hoseok’s worries. There is nothing he could say that wouldn’t alert Hoseok of his fondness for Lee.

And, despite how much he does it, Hyungwon doesn’t like thinking about how fond he is of a complete stranger. Not now that he knows Lee thinks about him too. Because he can’t tell which is weirder, more uncomfortable: himself getting one-sidedly ‘soft’ with a faceless friend or the both of them thinking of each other without knowing what the other is thinking about them.

“Oh, Hyungwon, I almost forgot.” Changkyun snaps his fingers. “That day you called in sick, this semi-regular kid came in and seemed kinda disappointed that you weren’t there.”

Averting his gaze from the condensation forming on his glass, Hyungwon looks up at his housemate. “Excuse me?”

Changkyun lifts his glass to sip his juice. ”Yeah, he said you were cute or something like that. I think I’ve seen him outside of Starbucks a couple times actually.”

“Is _he_ cute?” Hoseok butts in, picking up a napkin to do origami.

Making a face, Changkyun shrugs. “I don’t know. I didn’t think to check him out.”

“Changkyun, you had one job.”

Changkyun snorts. “Do you really trust me with that opinion, though?”

Hoseok looks up from his craft at the only straight one out of the three of them. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Who was it? And most importantly, did you tell him not to harass me like all the other people who come in and think I’m cute?” Hyungwon questions. There are only a handful of people who try to hit on him, but even one person is one too many. It makes for decent bonding material with the women he works with, but all Hyungwon wants to do is earn his check in peace.

“I don’t remember his name. He didn’t even want me to tell you he said that because he didn’t want you to get the wrong idea about him. I don’t think he’ll be too weird.”

“‘Not too weird’ is not the same as ‘not weird at all’.” Hyungwon frowns.

Changkyun starts tapping his fingers on his glass again. “He hasn’t done or said anything before and I don’t think he just suddenly started finding you attractive on Monday.”

“Okay,” Hyungwon draws out the sound. “But who is he?”

Hoseok slides his finger along a fold. “He’s not going to tell you.”

Changkyun nods. “He’s too easy to pick out. I don’t want you to start mean-mugging the guy when he’s still innocent.”

Hyungwon’s brows pull together. Too easy to pick out? What does that even mean? “I wouldn’t do that,” he says.

“Yes, you would,” Changkyun argues.

Hoseok hums his agreement.

“Tell me who he is,” Hyungwon whines. He pushes his lips out into a full pout.

Changkyun cups his chin and taps his cheek with his index finger as if he’s actually contemplating, as if Hyungwon’s cute appeal is working. “Will you pay my half of the electricity bill this month?”

Sighing, Hyungwon stops the act. “What are you buying that you don’t need this time?”

“A mini freezer. And I already bought it. They’re bringing it on Tuesday.”

“A freezer for what?” Hyungwon asks, dumbfounded.

Changkyun coughs. “Frozen taquitos.”

“Our freezer is already full of frozen taquitos.”

“That’s why I need another one,” Changkyun explains. He has the nerve to smile at Hyungwon who gives him a dead look.

“You know what? Forget it.” The architecture student turns to Hoseok. “I’m looking for a new housemate. Do you know anyone?”

 

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/09 _01:25am_**  

> you up?

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/09 _01:27am_**

> I was about to go to bed actually.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/09 _01:27am_**

> oh good night

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/09 _01:27am_**

> Did you need something?

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/09 _01:29am_**

> nah go to sleep

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/09 _01:30am_**

> Okay, good night.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/09 _01:31am_**

> dream of me

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/09 _01:31am_**

> That would be the opposite of a good night

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/09 _01:32am_**

> it’d be a great night ;D

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/09 _01:34am_**

> I’m gagging.
> 
> Don’t you dare make a joke about that or so help me... I’ll fight you.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/09 _01:34am_**

> i’ll spare you tonight

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/09 _01:35am_**

> Thank you

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/09 _01:35am_**

> go to sleep chae

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/09 _01:36am_**

> I am. You should get some sleep too.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/09 _01:36am_**

> yeah

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/09 _01:37am_**

> Don’t stay up too late.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/09 _01:39am_**

> i won’t
> 
> night

**FROM: bathroom boy chae**

**14/11/09 _01:39am_**

> Night <33

 

The screen of Minhyuk’s phone dims and, after another thirty seconds, goes black. Minhyuk stares into the wall of black where it should be, eyes not yet adjusted, before letting his arm fall. It thuds heavily against his bed with a small rebound. The phone feels like it doesn’t fit properly in his palm. He never noticed that before.

He lies there, floating in the darkness only slightly illuminated by the flickering streetlights outside. The sound of Kihyun shuffling in his sleep, the slide of his blanket against his sheets, scratches at Minhyuk’s ears. He knew he shouldn’t have drunk two Red Bulls and a Monster while he was doing his work and hour and a half ago; he’s starting to crash but there’s still something buzzing in his system.

He’s not completely sure if it’s the caffeine or not.

His head kind of hurts, both physically and metaphorically like Minhyuk has been thinking too much lately. Maybe he’s getting sick. That usually happens when the seasons change.

Waking up his phone and immediately squinting at the light, Minhyuk keys in his passcode and is greeted with the still open text log between him and Chae. He eyes the hearts attached to Chae’s goodnight ending and sighs, rolling onto his stomach. Shoving one arm underneath his pillow, he cushions his head and holds his phone away from his face. He quickly glides his thumb down the screen, watching as the text bubbles speed down. He stops randomly in the middle of a conversation dated a few weeks back. Without bothering to go back to the start of that exchange, Minhyuk skims his eyes over it. A light smile tugs the corners of his lips up as he rereads Chae’s complaint of the woman who comes in sometimes to hit on him. Chae was annoyed, talking about how awkward and uncomfortable it is whenever she comes in because he can’t say ‘Sorry, lady, but I’m uninterested because you have shit taste in coffee and I also happen to be dick-exclusive,’ without losing his job.

It was one of the rare times where Chae unthinkingly revealed something critical to finding out who he is. Minhyuk didn’t bother pointing it out back then, soaking up the info that Chae serves coffee somewhere in this city. He laughed at the thought of Chae being an employee of TranquiliTEA, a.k.a. Hipster Hell, or one of the eighty Starbucks within two miles of the campus center, scowling through his entire work shift.

Continuing to scroll, he reads though all of the dumb shit they’ve sent each other — all of the butt dial complaints, the ‘Hey, don’t forget you have this thing to do’ reminder texts, Chae always scolding Minhyuk to do his work, the flirtatious subtext woven within all of their words.

These days, Minhyuk doesn’t really know how to feel about any of it. Sometimes he wonders if this is real life and not an elaborate fever dream.

He’s honestly surprised at how tolerant Chae is. Most people are turned off by Minhyuk’s ability to make anything sexual, pun intended. Even when Hyungwon gets annoyed, he never seems like he’s _actually_ mad. It almost feels like they’re playing a game, but Minhyuk wants to believe this friendship is real. He wants to believe that Chae really is just this chill guy who doesn’t care that Minhyuk has the same sense of humor as a horny fifteen year old. Besides, no one would continue to talk to someone for a month if it was only as a joke. Minhyuk was playing around when he first texted Chae, but even he would have stopped by now if he didn’t come to genuinely like talking to him.

Minhyuk reads and re-reads until he makes it to their texts from today, laughing under his breath at some and smiling gently at his phone at others. By the time he finishes, once again eying Chae’s last text, almost fifteen minutes have passed and his eyes are starting to feel heavy.

Rhythmically tapping his finger against the screen so it doesn’t go dark, Minhyuk shoves his hand down the side of his bed to reach his charger. Lifting the cord, he plugs the end into the port at the bottom of his phone. He sets the phone on the edge of the bed and plants his face into his pillow.

He heaves a sigh and mumbles to himself, “What are you doing?”

 

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/12 _02:15pm_**

> I’m bored. Entertain me.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/12 _02:22pm_**

> yes master
> 
> i only serve to please you

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/12 _02:23pm_**

> Why are you always so extra?

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/12 _02:23pm_**

> but are you not amused by me

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/12 _02:25pm_**

> Ehhhhhhh…

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/12 _02:25pm_**

> you boss me around and then insult me
> 
> this friendship isn’t very healthy

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/12 _02:26pm_**

> Have you ever cherished me as a friend and not just the unknown bathroom number you can say dirty things to? You only want me for my body.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/12 _02:26pm_**

> you can’t use my perversion against me
> 
> i’m feeling so attacked rn

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/12 _02:26pm_**

> You didn’t deny it.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/12 _02:27pm_**

> chae nearly 80% of all my life decisions are made with my dick
> 
> BUT i can’t lust after you if you wont tell me what you look like
> 
> soooo
> 
> we should change that

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/12 _02:28pm_**

> I’m not telling you what I look like

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/12 _02:29pm_**

> cmonnnnnn let’s play 20 questions

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/12 _02:29pm_**

> Rejected.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/12 _02:30pm_**

> favorite color

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/12 _02:31pm_**

> Black
> 
> Ditto

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/12 _02:32pm_**

> lol you said no but you’re playing along
> 
> orange
> 
> biggest regret

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/12 _02:32pm_**

> Not blocking your number.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/12 _02:32pm_**

> ouch man

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/12 _02:33pm_**

> Most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done?

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/12 _02:35pm_**

> got stuck in a baby swing in the 12th grade
> 
> they called the fire department to get me out
> 
> height

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/12 _02:35pm_**

> No.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/12 _02:36pm_**

> theres no way id find you with that
> 
> plssssss

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/12 _02:37pm_**

> 180
> 
> The thing you want to do the most?

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/12 _02:39pm_**

> oh your taller than me
> 
> rn? get all your deetsssss
> 
> pretty boy, average joe, or meat head

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/12 _02:40pm_**

> I guess I’m more a pretty boy? If I’m being honest with myself.
> 
> Fuck Marry Kill. SM, YG, JYP

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/12 _02:41pm_**

> wtff if your running out of ideas ask me what i look like too???
> 
> fuck sm, marry jyp, kill yg

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/12 _02:42pm_**

> Unlike you, I’m not desperate to know what you look like.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/12 _02:42pm_**

> sorry for being curious about you i guess
> 
> sue me

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/12 _02:43pm_**

> See you in court then, babe

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/12 _02:43pm_**

> i’m counter suing for emotional distress

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/12 _02:45pm_**

> See you in court then, babe [x2]

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/12 _02:48pm_**

> you’re such a piece of shit lol

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/12 _02:49pm_**

> Okay, fine. You can tell me three things about your appearance.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/12 _02:50pm_**

> really?
> 
> well i’m 178cm
> 
> my hair is bleached rn but my roots are coming in so i might dye it again idk
> 
> and i’m more attractive than average but i wouldn’t say i’m pretty or traditionally handsome

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/12 _02:52pm_**

> Wow. So humble.
> 
> Nothing about your dick? I’m surprised.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/12 _02:53pm_**

> you already know how big my dick is tho
> 
> unless you wanted to know the girth
> 
> or that i’m uncut
> 
> want a pic?

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/12 _02:54pm_**

> Don’t talk to me for the rest of the day.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/12 _02:55pm_**

> what i do???

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/12 _03:11pm_**

> you can’t ignore me chae baby
> 
> :(

 

Hyungwon steps out of the backroom to Changkyun loitering around the front entrance with a fresh refill of passion fruit iced tea. Changkyun’s shift ended an hour before Hyungwon’s, but he waited it out, putting some work into a paper he has due Tuesday. As Hyungwon approaches, Changkyun hands him an iced chai latte and he takes it gratefully. Pushing the door open, Hyungwon sighs at the feeling of freedom that lifts the exhaustion from his bones. They turn left down the sidewalk toward their apartment.

“You going to the Delta party tonight?” Changkyun asks. His voice is muffled around his straw.

“The very last thing I want to do is go to a Delta party tonight,” Hyungwon replies.

“Great! We’re pre-gaming at Jooheon’s at seven.”

“The very last thing I want to do is go to a Delta party tonight,” Hyungwon repeats. “The second to last thing I want to do is spend any amount of time at Jooheon’s weed and sweaty gym shorts smelling shithole.”

“Hyungwon, you can’t just sit in your room and read on this wonderful Friday night.” Changkyun frowns and looks up at him but Hyungwon doesn’t look over to see what kind of expression he’s making. Probably disappointment.

Dropping back when a mixed group of five takes up the entire sidewalk, Hyungwon side-eyes them as they pass. He speeds up to walk alongside Changkyun again and taps his straw against his lips. “You’re right. I’m going to watch Justice League cartoons in my boxers and then sleep for ten hours on this wonderful Friday night.”

“You’re so lame,” Changkyun says. “You’re wasting your college years.”

“Yes, because the college experience is evaluated based on how many nights I can go out and not get puked on by some freshman.” Hyungwon pushes his hair back with his free hand and takes a sip of his latte.

They turn the corner at the convenience store and down the road where their apartment building is. Their complex is one of the nicer ones on campus, only because it has a fully functioning elevator that services all five floors of the building. The apartment size isn’t so bad — two bedrooms, a kitchen separate from the living room and a bathroom big enough for a tub— and neither is the rent so they can’t complain about much.

Hyungwon used to live with his ex but he moved out at the end of the last semester. Changkyun, who Hyungwon trained when he first got the job at the campus Starbucks, canceled his request for a dorm room and moved in. It’s a nice set-up. Even though Changkyun is a bit of a brat, he’s Hyungwon’s brat and the little brother he wouldn’t mind having.

“So what? Are you gonna invite Hoseok over and ‘cuddle’?” Changkyun asks, finger quotes and all.

Not even missing a beat, Hyungwon sticks his leg out so Changkyun’s foot catches on his ankle and he trips. “I don’t like you insinuating that I sleep with my best friend.”

Changkyun punches him in the shoulder once he stabilizes himself. “You guys get awfully cozy when he comes over on Saturdays. And he seems really disturbed by you talking to this Lee guy or whoever.”

“Getting cozy is kind of the point of Saturday Cuddling. And Hoseok isn’t jealous of Lee, if that’s what you mean. I need to find a new cuddling slave anyway. I also just said that I have a date with the Justice League.”

“What if you skip the pregaming and meet us at the frat house?”

“What if I don’t and say I did?”

Changkyun groans. “I’m trying to save your social life. Could you at least be a little more cooperative?”

Hyungwon sucks in a deep breath and says, “No.”

“ _Hyungwon_ ,” Changkyun whines.

“ _Changkyun,_ ” mimics Hyungwon.

They walk up to the front entrance of their apartment building. Hyungwon pushes Changkyun out of the way and fishes out his key to unlock the door. Changkyun slips through the opening while Hyungwon is pulling his key from the lock and heads straight for their shared mailbox slot.

“When was the last time you went wild? Let loose? Got turnt?” Changkyun asks. Their mailbox contains nothing but flyers for the pizza place around the corner and he rolls them into a cylinder.

Rolling his eyes, Hyungwon turns to the elevator and jabs the call button. “Don’t ever say ‘turnt’ in my presence again. I saved you from upperclassman dorm hell and I’ll send you right back.”

“All I’m saying is,” Changkyun joins him by the elevator and shakes his half-empty cup in his face, “you might have a good time tonight if you go.”

“Unlikely.”

“You’re so negative.”

The elevator door slides open and the two men enter the small box. The sign above the control panel says it can fit ten people but Hyungwon highly doubts that. He leans against the back wall, letting Changkyun hit the button for the third floor, and sucks up some more of his latte.

“Changkyun, the only purpose of frat parties is to get shitfaced and for straight guys to harass girls who give no fucks about them.”

“Should I be offended by that?”

Hyungwon shrugs. “I hate drinking just to get drunk but that would be the only way I’d begin to even vaguely have fun dancing to whatever shitty music the Deltas will play and dealing with kids so drunk they can’t count to twenty.” He nods his head for Changkyun to exit the elevator first when the door edges open.

They live in apartment 304, tucked in the very corner of the third floor hall. They have a shoe rack but it’s largely unused because they both wear the same shoes almost every day. The place is clean…kind of. The kitchen, living room, and bathroom stay relatively presentable; their bedrooms, on the other hand, are a different story. Hyungwon has a habit of throwing his stuff everywhere, often too lazy to do much else when he gets back from class or work and the only thing on his mind is a three hour nap. Changkyun is the tidier one out of the two but not by much. One day out of the month is dedicated to cleaning house, but neither of them pay much attention to the date circled in dark red on the calendar stuck to their fridge.

Once inside, Hyungwon kicks off his sneakers. He drops his book bag by the couch and dives front first onto the soft cushions.

“Do we have any food?” Changkyun asks, voice thinning as he travels down the hall.

Twisting his neck so he’s looking in the direction of where the other man went, Hyungwon calls, “You can have my leftovers from last night, if you want! Or you can eat one of your eighty boxes of fucking taquitos!”

There is no answer from Changkyun.

Grabbing the remote, Hyungwon turns on the television. The five o’clock news is on, the current story about a robbery in one of the nearby suburbs. He flips the channel without a second though. There isn’t much on, so he settles for a showing of Bee Movie.

He shifts into a more comfortable position, crawling up so he can fit his curled legs on the short piece of furniture and rest his head on the arm. After a couple minutes, he hears a door close and then the sound of water running through the pipes.

So much work goes into getting ready for parties; it’s ridiculous. Everyone showers and changes out of their sweatpants and loose T-shirts into, at least for guys, nice jeans and a slightly more presentable T-shirt. And for what? To bump into someone and get a river of beer down their shirt, to have the bottoms of their shoes caked in who knows what and sticky, to actually impress absolutely no one? Not to mention the overuse of perfumes and colognes can probably be considered a code red pollution hazard.

Hyungwon doesn’t have the energy for any of that.

“Did anyone stop for a second and think about how weird it is that this woman is so attached to a _bee_?” Hyungwon mutters, wrapping his right arm around his waist. He can tell he’s in a mood, aware of the weight against his stomach and wishing he was curled around someone, anyone.

More so than wanting to be intimately close to someone, Hyungwon just loves how being held in someone’s arms feels. As much as he denies it, he does blank out a lot of the time, thinking of everything and nothing, trapped in the moment until something shatters it.

It’s hard to explain where his head goes during those moments and it is often misconstrued; that’s why he broke up with his last boyfriend. Everything was great in the beginning — not really, but it was manageable — until his ex became a manipulative, power-tripping piece of shit. His most recent ex was the worst out of all of the people who blew his interest in cuddling out of proportion, but he certainly wasn’t the only one. And finding casual cuddling partners is so hard because people either don’t want to respect his boundaries or they get weirded out when his mind starts to slip.

As annoying as Hoseok is, cuddling with his best friend is great because he already understands what Hyungwon’s like and there is no attraction between the two of them. But Hoseok texted him earlier about finally asking out the guy he’s been into for a while, and Hyungwon isn’t going to cause suspicion by still asking Hoseok to participate in Saturday Cuddling.

Hyungwon presses up firmly against the back of the couch. He know he shouldn’t be lying there; he’ll end up falling asleep if he stays. Bee Movie isn’t exactly high on the list of Movies That Keep Your Attention. He stares at the screen nonetheless.

It would be a great movie about the dwindling bee population and how important bees are except, even now, no one gives a shit about them. Bees are like the Cinderella of insects — they do a lot of work behind the scenes but are undervalued just because they sting. Maybe one day some sweet nature fairy godmother will come and restore their honor.

“…sleep on the couch,” drifts into Hyungwon’s ears just before something plush makes impact with and bounces off his cheek.

Hyungwon cracks his eyes open, unsure of when exactly during his thoughts about the future of bees on this planet that he had began to nod off. On the floor in front of the couch lies a pillow and the sight of it kills any and all tiredness. He can’t take his eyes off it as he says, in an even tone, “If you don’t pick up my The New 52 Aquaman pillow off the floor in the next half a second, I’m corrupting your external hard drive.”

Changkyun starts to laugh but stops when Hyungwon jumps off the couch with a quickness rare for his lazy limbs and races down the hall, easily sliding into Changkyun’s room and closing the door behind him.

The 1 TB hard drive is kept in the bottom drawer of Changkyun’s burnt sienna, wood desk. It’s filled with a little bit of everything, most of the space taken up with music. Changkyun listens to a lot of music, but the hard drive is also where he keeps the files of the stuff _he_ makes, both in his composition classes and on his own time. Some of the lyrics he has scribbled in notebooks, some of the beats he has saved on the cloud sharing site the school uses, but some it is also not backed up anywhere. It would be completely gone if Hyungwon was to damage the drive.

An equal trade for touching his pillow, handling it with such disrespect, and letting it come in contact with the floor.

Hyungwon barely has the drive in his hand before the door flies open behind him and Changkyun runs in.

“Put it down or Aquaman goes up in flames.”

Rising from his crouch, Hyungwon turns around eerily slow. The wide-eyed Changkyun is holding the pillow in his grubby hands. Hyungwon looks down at the drive and then back at his housemate.

He holds out his hand. “Give me the pillow, you little shit.” Hyungwon wouldn’t call it a prized possession, but it is limited edition and he spent a lot of money on it. Not to mention, Aquaman’s design for The New 52 comics is really hot, complete DILF material. It doesn’t even go on his bed because he doesn’t want it to get dirty; he keeps it on his bookshelf.

Changkyun tosses the pillow into the air as he says, “My drive, please.”

Hyungwon clutches the black device in his hand harder. “I will literally fight you if that hits the floor again.”

“Okay, but your little noodle arms won’t do any damage, will they?” The music composition major laughs, tucking the pillow under his arms. “Why are you so weird about this thing anyway?”

“Because it cost more than your life.”

“I thought I was the most valuable thing to you.” Changkyun pouts and curls in on himself, feigning cute.

Hyungwon can’t help but snort. “I’d price you about the same as day old chicken nuggets.”

Gasping, Changkyun takes proper hold of the pillow again. “You won’t save Fishsticks by saying things like that.”

Rolling his eyes, Hyungwon tosses the drive onto Changkyun’s mess of a bed. “Just hand it over, McLoser, and finish getting ready for your shitty party.”

“Hey hey hey! Why do you get to throw my shit around but I have to treat your pillow like it’s baby Jesus?” Changkyun whines. He hands Hyungwon the pillow anyway.

Taking it, Hyungwon hugs the cushion to his chest. “We are all followers walking in the path of our lord and savior, Aquaman,” he says, seriously with a confident nod of his head.

Changkyun dissolves into laughter and Hyungwon cracks a few seconds later.

“Get out of my room, you fucking nerd.”

  

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/14 _11:17pm_**

> hey wyd??

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/14 _11:25pm_**

> Eating cookies, binge watching justice league for the 100000 time, and lamenting the loss of my cuddle buddy
> 
> Living the life.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/14 _11:27pm_**

> you don’t seem like a cuddler
> 
> break up with your partner?
> 
> wait that’s super personal you dont have to answer that

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/14 _11:29pm_**

> I’m not really touchy, but for some reason I’m a cuddling addict
> 
> It’s cool. We weren’t dating. But now he is and I don’t want to seem like THAT guy
> 
> Anyway, are you up to anything interesting?

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/14 _11:32pm_**

> at the delta party. their out of beer and the music is shit but kihyun disappeared w some girl and hyunwoo went home for the weekend
> 
> i didnt bring my key
> 
> so i’m suffering until i find him

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/14 _11:34pm_**

> Wow. I’m sorry.
> 
> A friend tried to get me to go but I’m not a partier and, even if I was, Delta parties are shit.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/14 _11:35pm_**

> damn so close but so far away
> 
> im friends w two delta execs and they get pissy when i don’t come
> 
> and don’t be sorry. kihyun needs to get some so he’ll stop being a bitter asshole

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/14 _11:36pm_**

> Why don’t you find someone?

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/14 _11:36pm_**

> i did
> 
> you

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/14 _11:36pm_**

> Okay, Casanova. That’s not what I meant.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/14 _11:38pm_**

> i’m not really up for hooking up tonight
> 
> i’d rather talk to you
> 
> what if i told you i was more of a marvel buff than dc

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/14 _11:38pm_**

> I’d tell you to find a new anonymous friend

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/14 _11:39pm_**

> lol i’m kidding whos your favorite from the justice league
> 
> batman?

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/14 _11:41pm_**

> I fucking hate Batman. Don’t even get me started.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/14 _11:42pm_**

> are you serious

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/14 _11:42pm_**

> Everyone always has that reaction.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/14 _11:45pm_**

> no no no i mean
> 
> i don’t like batman either
> 
> he’s overrated
> 
> i wouldnt say i hate him tho

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/14 _11:48pm_**

> You’re not just saying that are you? Because I think I’m falling in love.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/14 _11:48pm_**

> and you say your not a nerd

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/14 _11:49pm_**

> Excuse me

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/14 _11:49pm_**

> your excused

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/14 _11:49pm_**

> …

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/14 _11:50pm_**

> kisses xoxo

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/14 _11:50pm_**

> I take it back. I’m not in love anymore.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/14 _11:54pm_**

> sorry it’s too late. we’re in this for the long haul babe
> 
> <3
> 
> but no really, favorite league member
> 
> mine’s zatanna

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/14 _11:54pm_**

> Did you just look up league members other than Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman?

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/14 _11:55pm_**

> please
> 
> have you no faith in me?

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/14 _11:55pm_**

> None.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/14 _11:55pm_**

> wow and you say i’m the ass

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/14 _11:57pm_**

> Zatanna is pretty rad. Why her?
> 
> I have a soft spot for Aquaman.
> 
> And by soft spot I mean a huge hard on.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/14 _11:58pm_**

> who says rad anymore you loser
> 
> also you were right, i don’t know shit about justice league

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/15 _12:04am_**

> [image attachment: a picture of hyungwon’s hand, his middle finger up]

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/15 _12:05am_**

> we upgraded to pics???
> 
> when do i get one of your face, pretty boy?

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/15 _12:05am_**

> So you can build a shrine? Never.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/15 _12:06am_**

> </3
> 
> and i’d never make a shrine
> 
> jerk off to it maybe

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/15 _12:13am_**

> chae?

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/15 _12:20am_**

> was that too much?
> 
> ???

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/15 _12:27am_**

> My phone died and I couldn’t find the charger. Sorry.
> 
> You’re cool. I’m used to you and your sex obsession.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/15 _12:28am_**

> holy shit i thot i crossed a line
> 
> *thought

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/15 _12:30am_**

> [image attached: hyungwon’s hand making a finger heart]

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/15 _12:34am_**

> [image attached: a dark picture of minhyuk's hand making a finger heart]
> 
> your first declaration of love to me
> 
> i’m swooning
> 
> taking this relationship to the next level

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/15 _12:35am_**

> xoxo :*

 

Minhyuk ends up going to Jooheon’s place when it becomes apparent that Kihyun left the Delta house without telling him and giving him the key. He lets himself into their just off-campus flat, Jooheon having tossed him the key saying that as social chair of Delta Chi, he most likely won’t go home. Minhyuk had no qualms about leaving him there.

His phone buzzes in his pocket, a new text from Chae. They’ve been going back and forth for the past two hours. He hadn’t noticed he was so into their conversation until Gunhee, one of Jooheon’s flatmates and Delta secretary, had come up to him asking if he was alright because he hadn’t moved from his spot on the couch for an hour and a half. Minhyuk would have felt bad about sitting around in the middle of a party, but he only went so Jooheon wouldn’t whine his ear off so he doesn’t really care about how he probably looked out of place.

The lights in the living room are on when Minhyuk walks in and the television is playing some crime show. Jooheon and Gunhee’s housemate, Kwangji, looks over his shoulder at him and nods in greeting.

“Where’s dumb and dumber?” he asks, turning his attention back to the television. Unlike his housemates, Kwangji is laid back and actually responsible. Although the three of them are friends, Kwangji doesn’t interact with Jooheon and Gunhee often, and, most of the time he chills in his room whenever they have people over. Minhyuk can’t blame him though. Not when a majority of Jooheon and Gunhee’s friends are insufferable frat bros.

Minhyuk laughs as he locks the door and kicks off his shoes. “They’re staying at the House tonight. Kihyun ditched me so I hope you don’t me crashing here.”

“Nah.” Kwangji pushes himself up. “I have an air mattress you can use. I wouldn’t let the person I hate the most put their head near the cushions on this thing.” He pats the arm rest of the couch and heads to his room — Jooheon and Gunhee share the other room— to grab the mattress, asking Minhyuk to move the coffee table against the wall for space as he goes.

Minhyuk’s phone vibrates again, playing the twinkling sound he set specifically to tell Chae’s texts from everyone else’s, while he hooks his fingers around the edges of the small rectangular wooden table and heaves it over to the empty space beside the lamp. He whips the device out and quickly swipes his finger to open the new message before the screen has a chance to go dark again. The first message, the one from when he walked in, is the question of if he made it home; the second asks if he wants to come over.

He’s in the middle of typing back 'is this a real offer?’ when Kwangji returns, rolled up air mattress in hand.

“Thanks, man. Who knows what kind of disease I’d get sleeping on that thing.” Minhyuk nods his head at the couch.

Chuckling, Kwangji bends down to plug the mattress in the surge protector. He flips the switch and a loud whirring fills the apartment as the mattress inflates.

“Oh, you don’t have to start it up. I don’t want to kick you out of your living room.”

Kwangji shakes his head. “I need to go to bed anyway. I have an early shift tomorrow.”

Nodding his head, Minhyuk watches the mattress fill. Kwangji leaves and comes back with a spare blanket and pillow and tells Minhyuk to turn off the pump when the mattress is done before he retreats to his room with a ‘good night’.

Minhyuk tosses his phone onto the inflating mattress and pulls off his shirt. He fiddles with the button of his jeans, contemplating if he wants to take them off too or leave them on. His phone chimes again, lighting up from within the folds of the navy blanket. Minhyuk turns off the pump and flops onto the mattress before grabbing his phone to check the new message.

 

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/14 _1:40am_**

> Only if you come to cuddle.

 

Rolling onto his stomach, Minhyuk bites his lip. This is new. They never acknowledge the fact that they attend the same university and are more than capable of taking their friendship to the next level off their phones. Minhyuk feels a little bit out of depth and his reply of ‘lol lonely?’ is more a serious question than a playful tease.

It takes Chae ten minutes to answer — ten minutes Minhyuk spends turning off the television and the light and rolling around wondering if he responded the wrong way this time — but when he does, something warm settles in Minhyuk’s stomach.

 

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/14 _1:59am_**

> More like I want someone to hold me down and keep me warm.

 

Minhyuk knows he’s reading it wrong. He knows Chae didn’t mean to word it so suggestively because Chae isn’t the type to send a text that essentially says that he’s horny. He knows all of this and yet he still stares dumbly at his phone, unsure how to proceed. Ignoring the part of his brain led by his dick, he runs through all of the possible responses. He could make a joke; jokes are safe. But what if Chae is serious about the cuddling? Minhyuk can’t say he wouldn’t be okay with that. It’d be under a weird (and potentially awkward) circumstance but they’d finally meet.

Rolling off his bed for the night, Minhyuk gets up to turn off the television and the light. He takes a detour to the bathroom, hoping a nice piss will somehow clear his mind and that the appropriate answer to Chae’s text will appear in the sink mirror like a crystal ball as he washes his hands. It doesn’t, and he returns to the living room and his phone with nothing.

As he lies down and wraps himself in the navy blanket, Minhyuk supposes it’ll be okay if doesn’t respond and fuel the flames of a fire he’s not sure if he’s willing to stoke.

 

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/15 _01:22pm_**

> Oh my god. I swear I was practically asleep when I sent those.
> 
> I don’t even remember sending them. I was that out of it
> 
> Oh my god 

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/15 _02:13pm_**

> lol relax
> 
> its fine
> 
> i assumed you were either asleep or drink
> 
> *drunk

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/15 _02:15pm_**

> fuck meeeeeeeeeeee

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/15 02:15pm**

> you’re starting to text like someone your age lol

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/15 _02:16pm_**

> I’m doing it now because i’m too mortified to function

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/15 02:17pm**

> idk i think it was funny
> 
> i am here if you ever want to cuddle tho
> 
> we should probably catch lunch or something first
> 
> you eat lunch yet

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/15 _02:18pm_**

> No

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/15 02:18pm**

> cool
> 
> we should get something if your down

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/15 _02:23pm_**

> No, I mean, I don’t want to get lunch with you because I’m not comfortable with that.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/15 02:26pm**

> okayyyy why not?
> 
> we’ve been talking for like 2 months. we’re not strangers anymore

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/15 _02:27pm_**

> Idk, it’s weird.
> 
> Hey, I’ll talk to you later. I have something I need to do

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/15 02:28pm**

> yeah...okay later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for all the support !!! tbh i'm just glad someone, anyone other than me enjoys it ♥


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh when i first posted this, i had pretty much the whole thing written so why did i rewrite this entire section??? if it sucks compared to the other parts, that's why.

The plastic spoon gets stuck in the dispenser when Hyungwon taps his finger on the lever, not even a centimeter of the handle poking out of the slot.

“Of course,” he huffs. In his three years of going to this school and eating at the small food court on the ground floor of the general education building, he’s never gotten a spoon without having to shove his entire arm up the dispenser.

Hyungwon quickly transfers his broccoli cheddar soup from his right hand to the left, hissing at the burning heat that passes through the thick paper bowl. He wiggles the fingers of his right hand up the dispenser and curls them lightly around the handle of the utensil to draw it out. Popping the spoon into his mouth — because he needs both hands to balance his bowl of lava to prevent first degree burns — Hyungwon maneuvers through the crowded seating area to where he left his hoodie and bookbag at a three-seater cramped against the wall near the exit.

Once he reaches the table, he slides the full cup onto it and sits down in one of the other two chairs not occupied by his bookbag. He pops the top off the soup, plucks the spoon from his mouth, and slips the utensil into his lunch. Pushing the cup off to the side, waiting for the soup to cool, Hyungwon lifts his hips and draws his phone from his pocket where it was digging into his butt. He sets it down on the table.

The LED notification light is blinking but he doesn’t bother looking to see what it’s for. There is only one thing that it could be. He should probably dismiss the notification, but he kind of likes the reminder that he’s being a piece of shit for not responding to any of Lee’s messages.

It’s Tuesday and Hyungwon has been ignoring Lee since Sunday after the _I can’t believe I sent you a text last night that sounded like I wanted to have sex with you please kill me_ fiasco. Yesterday was filled with nothing but apologies and ‘it’s okay if we never meet. that’s cool, i’m fine with that’. Lee hasn’t bothered to send any today yet, but the LED light is blinking because Hyungwon stopped opening the messages yesterday morning and has only been reading the first lines of text from the notification preview.

Ignoring all of Lee’s messages is not the way to go; Hyungwon is well aware of that. But he needs time to process what happened over the weekend. He really was half asleep, delirious with tiredness, but he also really did want to cuddle. Fully awake, Hyungwon would have never sent that text, but he wasn’t nearly as disturbed as he should have been about inviting Lee over, just embarrassed as hell at how he worded it like a cheap pick up line. And that’s kind of the problem. He shouldn’t feel as comfortable with the thought of coming face to face with Lee, let alone going straight for full body contact. There’s a protocol to this sort of thing, right? A list of do’s and don’ts, stuff to be wary of when meeting someone you’ve been semi-flirting with for the first time.

What if they don’t mesh as well in person as they do over the phone? Will they still have to go through the awkward introduction phase even though they already know each other? Most importantly, what is Hyungwon supposed to do about the fondness for the other man that he can’t tell is one hundred percent platonic or not? Between not knowing if he’d consider Lee good-looking and not knowing if Lee would be interested, Hyungwon has too many thoughts running through his mind that he can’t even begin to figure out.

Still, he knows he owes Lee a response. As soon as he figures out a way to stop himself from over thinking.

Playing with his spoon, Hyungwon looks away from where he was blankly staring into space. He glances at his soup just as his phone flashes awake with another message. Without thinking, he turns the device over so he doesn’t have to see the notification.

 

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/18 _2:15pm_  **

> you know it’s kind of weird not talking to you. it’s only been like 2 days but we’ve been talking every day so now that were not i don’t really know what to do with myself. i get that your freaked out and to be honest i didn’t really think about meeting before that much but now i do it all the time. i’m not trying to pressure you. i guess i’m just talking out of my ass. look at me writing whole paragraphs and shit. anyway, have a nice day :)

 

Heaving a sigh, Minhyuk glances at his watch. It’s a little after two o’clock and his Business Administration class should be starting but he decided to skip today so that doesn’t matter. He kept losing focus during his Economics class (much to Kihyun’s annoyance) and realized he’d probably be like that all day. He doesn’t know why he’s so out of it today. He actually went to bed before midnight last night for the first time since his freshman year.

He pushes open the door to the food court and heads straight for the Italian food vendor that sells greasy pizza and only three different kinds of pasta. He skipped out on lunch with Kihyun after class (because Kihyun wanted to go to a _salad bar_ ) and, instead of eating then, set up camp in the computer lab to pretend to do work. Luckily the line is five people short because Minhyuk is sure that if he has to wait any longer, his stomach will start swallowing nearby organs for sustenance.

As he waits, he pulls out his phone and looks over the text he just sent out. Chae hasn’t replied to any of his messages since Saturday morning and Minhyuk would be lying if he said he wasn’t even a little bothered at being ghosted like this. He scrolls through the previous days’ texts and groans at himself. He sounds so desperate in all of them, like he just had an argument with his boyfriend and is begging for forgiveness.

The last couple of days have been a whirlwind of emotions that Minhyuk wasn’t ready for. He threw out the suggestion of getting lunch to get Chae to stop freaking out and prove that he really wasn’t bothered about the slip, but he had also gotten strangely excited at the thought of finally getting to see his little nerd. Minhyuk was always content with their phone arrangement, but lately simple curiosity has turned into a low-burning need to know, to uncover the mystery of his bathroom buddy.

And then Chae revealed that he didn’t feel the same, that he would be perfectly fine if he and Minhyuk never met — okay, he didn’t say that but he may as well have — and now Minhyuk’s swimming in a pool of disappointment and what-ifs. But he’s willing to push all of his questions to the back of his mind, if it means Chae returns his messages, even if it’s just to send a cease and desist.

When Minhyuk is three people away from the register, an alien looking boy with huge eyes behind the counter catches his attention to take his order. Minhyuk goes for the chicken alfredo and a side of three breadsticks. He scans the seating area after he orders, wondering if he should bother looking for a table or if he should just go home and eat when he gets there. By the side exit that leads to the stairwell with the flickering lights, he spies what he thinks is a familiar face but he can’t see well from this angle.

Alien Boy #2 rings up his food and Minhyuk slides further down the counter to pop open the lid of the to-go container and smother his pasta in parmesan cheese. Replacing the lid, he stacks the paper bag of breadsticks on top and goes to get a fork.

“For all the money I pay in tuition, this school can’t even get dispensers that actually _dispense_ ,” he complains. He repeatedly presses down on the lever as if a second fork will pop out to push the first one out before eventually sighing and ripping the fork out himself. Placing the fork next to the breadsticks, he holds it down with his thumb and heads in the direction of the side exit.

As he approaches the door, he realizes it’s the cute barista — Hyungwon? — from a couple weeks ago sitting there, playing with his food and staring into space. Without thinking about the encounter with Changkyun and what may have happened afterward, Minhyuk walks over to Hyungwon’s table.

Hyungwon breaks out of his trance and blinks up at Minhyuk with wide eyes. “Oh, hey,” he greets. A small unsure smile tugs at his deliciously plump lips.

Minhyuk’s kind of always had a thing for thick lips.

“Do you mind if I sit here?” Minhyuk asks. He’s already walked over; he may as well go all the way.

The other man looks around the room before returning his gaze to Minhyuk. “Uh, yeah, sure. Just hand me my bookbag.” He motions to the chair across from him.

Setting his food down on the table, Minhyuk does just that and sits in the now empty chair, leaving his own bag at his feet. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Hyungwon shakes his head. His eyes dart around and eventually settle on Minhyuk again. He tugs on his bottom lip with his front teeth. “Well…”

Minhyuk chuckles, barely affected by the awkwardness radiating off of the other man. “Sorry if I’m making you uncomfortable. Do you not remember me?”

“No, I remember. I’m just not sure why you’re sitting with me when we’ve only met once.” His lips turn down into a slight frown before straightening out. “Sorry, I have a lot on my mind and that came out harsher than I intended. I’m not really bothered by you sitting here, but I’m bad at the small talk required in this kind of situation.

“That’s fine. I talk enough for five people.” Minhyuk smiles reassuringly. “Do you mind if I ask what’s wrong? Sometimes it can be helpful to talk to a non-biased stranger.”

“I don’t want to keep you from eating.” Hyungwon glances down at the pasta sitting on the side of the table.

Minhyuk drags the container in front of him. He sets the breadsticks in the middle of the table. “I can listen and eat at the same time,” he says. “Want a breadstick?”

Making a small noise, the barista shakes his head. “But thanks.”

Minhyuk opens his pasta, swirls the plastic fork in the creamy noodles, and shoves the mound in his mouth. That seems to be all it takes for the pretty boy to relax a bit.

“I, uh, I have a friend that I started talking to recently.” Hyungwon scrunches his brows together like he’s thinking of how to continue. “We haven’t seen each other in a really long time but they’re in the area and they want to meet up. I want to, but I’m also kind of nervous and I don’t know how to tell them that so I haven’t talked to them lately.”

Minhyuk is reminded of Chae and his many unanswered texts. He pauses in taking another bite, lowering the fork. “What are you nervous about?”

“A lot,” Hyungwon answers. “But I suppose I’m most nervous about meeting up to their expectations after all this time.” He curls his fingers around his spoon and fishes out a chunk of broccoli from his soup. He takes a couple more sips while Minhyuk thinks.

“Maybe you should tell them how you’re feeling. And while it is great that you’re trying to reconnect, if they can’t accept who you are now, then it’s possible that may have a strain on your friendship in the future. It’s okay to make the meeting a onetime thing if you have to, you know?”

For a moment, Hyungwon plays with his spoon. Then, he nods and looks up at Minhyuk again. There’s a soft smile stretched beautifully on his face. “You’re right. Thanks.”

The gentle look on his face rouses a wave of butterflies in Minhyuk’s stomach. Did they always have boys this cute on their campus?

“I’m sorry I’m asking after loading my insecurities onto you, but do you think you can tell me your name again? I get so many names while I’m working that it’s impossible for me to remember unless you’re a regular. To be honest, I only remember you because of the hair.”

“Minhyuk,” he introduces. “Junior business major.”

“Hyungwon. I’m a junior as well. Engineering.”

Minhyuk notes that Hyungwon doesn’t tell him what branch of engineering, but he doesn’t care enough to ask. He kind of wants to ask if he’s into guys.

He doesn’t pop the big question and they lapse into silence in order to finish eating. Hyungwon is content to look at his soup as he eats. Minhyuk doesn’t look down once, blindly picking up fettuccine and directing it to his mouth, fixated on the way Hyungwon’s lips close around his spoon and how his tongue pokes out every so often to catch the spill.

“Minhyuk?”

Minhyuk hums absentmindedly to prove he’s listening. He’s never met someone with such perfect cock—

“You’re staring,” Hyungwon says.

It takes another five seconds for the words to settle. Minhyuk tilts his head back and closes his eyes. He sighs. “Was I?”

“Yeah, kind of.”

Reopening his eyes, Minhyuk flicks his gaze down to meet Hyungwon’s eyes. The barista has a peculiar expression on his face, eyebrows pulled together and mouth pursed like he’s trying to solve a puzzle.

“Sorry, I—”

Hyungwon holds up his hand, shaking his head. “I’m a little weirded out, but can I ask you something?”

“You just did,” Minhyuk replies, trying to alleviate any negative feelings Hyungwon may have.

He’s not sure if it works because Hyungwon starts to roll his eyes but then stops himself.

“A couple weeks ago, a coworker told me there was a customer who came in looking for me.” Hyungwon starts. He worries at his lips — Minhyuk tries not to look for longer than necessary — before finally asking his question although Minhyuk can already tell what it is. “Was it you?”

Minhyuk reaches for his breadsticks and pulls one out of the bag. He breaks off an inch from the tip. “Will your opinion of me change depending on what I answer?”

Hyungwon breathes out a disbelieving laugh. His opens his mouth but quickly closes it.

“I thought we’d get along.” That’s one way to put it.

Hyungwon raises an eyebrow. “Is that a euphemism?”

Minhyuk smirks. If Hyungwon is immediately making that guess, Minhyuk reckons it’s fair to assume. And if he's wrong, it wouldn't be the first time Minhyuk has tried to with a straight guy. “Is it? Do you want it to be?”

“Are you _hitting on me_?” A pretty flush spreads across Hyungwon’s face despite the serious face he’s pulling.

Slipping the rest of the breadstick back into the bag, he tosses it on top of his half-eaten pasta and closes the container. He pushes out of his seat and heaves his bag over his shoulder. Taking his food in his free hand, he laughs. “I’ll let you think whatever you want,” he says and pops the broken chunk of bread into his mouth.

Hyungwon blinks. His mouth drops open and he straightens up like he wants to say something.

Minhyuk shoots him a grin and winks. He admires Hyungwon’s pretty, pink face while he steps backward away from the table toward the nearby exit. “See you around.” And with a cheeky salute, he pushes open the paint-chipped door and slips into the stairwell.

A girl coming down the stairs looks at him for a second. He starts to walk up to the first floor, dragging his feet as he waits for her to enter the food court. Once the door swings shut behind her, he stops into the middle of the stairwell.

“What the fuck, Lee Minhyuk. That was the complete opposite of smooth.”

 

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/18 _11:44am_**

> Hey, it’s me. I’m sorry I disappeared like that. I know we’re not strangers anymore. I consider you a close friend, but the thing is that I’m afraid you’ll meet me and things will change. Like you’ll notice some difference between phone me and in person me. The possibility of rejection is really fucking scary, to be honest.
> 
> I still need time to mentally prepare myself for that, but if you’re tired of me being weird then I totally understand if you don’t think it’s worth it. I’m sorry.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/18 _12:30am_**

> chae, relax. i can feel your anxiety through the phone. if you need time, that’s cool. if you never want to try, that’s fine too. i know you’re unsure. you always have been. i don’t mean this in a bad way but i’m not expecting anything out of you. although it’d be a little weird if you lied about everything and were 100% different. do what makes you comfortable. like i said, i’m not trying to pressure you. but i’m also the last person who would ever judge you for not being the exact same person i know.

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/18 _12:35am_**

> Thank you for being understanding. I’m sorry again.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/18 _12:36am_**

> don’t be <33

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/18 _11:36am_**

> <3

 

The Avenue is packed with people, as always, Hyungwon laments when he crosses the street leading to the line of handmade boutiques adjacent to the park. The sidewalk is dotted with round tables, their plastic tops an alternating pattern of black and white. He was hoping to find an open table so he could appreciate the nice, almost out of season weather while he worked, but the chances of that happening appear slim.

His book bag hangs heavily off his left shoulder, his textbooks and tablet weighing it down. He bounces his arm, shifting the strap cutting into his shoulder just the slightest bit to the side.

“Maybe I’ll go to the library instead,” he wonders aloud. He’d rather go back home than go to the library but he can’t risk falling asleep with an Urban Design assignment to work on.

Briefly, he wonders what Lee is up to. They don’t message each other as much as they used to, even though Hyungwon apologized and explained why he was off. He assumes Lee is giving him space and that’s sweet and all, but the distance is doing nothing to alleviate Hyungwon’s nerves.

There is a shout of ' _Hey!'_ that sounds too close to his ear for comfort only seconds before someone’s arm becomes deadweight across his shoulders. Hyungwon jumps, as does his heart, and he looks over at jet black hair framing a face crinkled with laughter. A face a part of him was hoping to see again. If only to confirm the answers to his questions.

“Jesus, you scared me.” He holds his hand over his heart, the small organ thumping wildly beneath his chest.

“Sorry, sorry,” Minhyuk says. He doesn’t sound sorry at all. “What brings you to the Ave.?”

“I was going to chill out here and get some work done. But I might head to the library because there’s nowhere to sit.”

“Or,” Minhyuk turns Hyungwon around, “you can sit at that table right there where all my shit is.”

The table he’s pointing at is beneath the almost bare branches of a small tree. A bottle Hyungwon recognizes as one of the recyclable water bottles they sell at the campus store and a navy autumn jacket, most likely Minhyuk’s, sit on its black surface top. One of the chairs has a ratty duffle bag at its legs. Leaning against the table is a man who looks to be about Hyungwon’s height with short cropped black hair. He’s fiddling with his phone, paying them no attention.

“Me and one of my housemates came out to play soccer, so we’re not going to be using it.” Minhyuk explains.

Hyungwon ahs in understanding. “If you don’t mind.”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I did.” Minhyuk pats Hyungwon’s shoulder twice and drops his arm, hand brushing the small of his back before falling away.

Turning his head to eye the slightly shorter man suspiciously at the touch, Hyungwon is met with the same bright grin Minhyuk always sports.

“What?” Minhyuk quirks an eyebrow, walking ahead. He takes three steps before turning around to face Hyungwon while moving backward. The edges of his smile blur into something more teasing.

“You know, you’re awfully forward considering we hardly know each other,” Hyungwon says, following the other man’s pace. “And you don’t even know if I’m into men.”

Minhyuk shoves his hands into the pockets of his joggers and glances over his shoulder to make sure he won’t run into anyone or anything. “You would’ve said so by now if you aren’t. And rather than being turned off by me, I think you’re interested.” He says it like he’s never been surer of anything in his life, even punctuates the statement with a confident nod of the head.

Hyungwon can’t stop himself from rolling his eyes, even if he does feel himself starting to blush at the accusation. Minhyuk isn’t wrong, but he also isn’t right. He’s walking a thin line between annoying and endearing. But that’s probably because he kind of reminds Hyungwon of Lee (and that’s not doing anything to settle Hyungwon’s scattered thoughts). “I wouldn’t say that.”

“You don’t have to say it for it to be true,” Minhyuk counters.

Hyungwon would protest that but Minhyuk suddenly pivots to walk forward and he realizes they’re at the table. Glancing up, he meets the curious eyes of Minhyuk’s roommate.

“Hyunwoo, Hyungwon,” Minhyuk quickly introduces them, motioning when he says their names.

Hyunwoo nods in greeting, small mouth stretched in a polite smile. “Nice to meet you.” He raises his phone in Minhyuk’s face. “Kihyun said he’s mad that he wasn’t invited.”

“Boo fucking hoo.” Minhyuk snorts. He reaches for his tumbler and screws the maroon top off. “Actually, no. Tell Kihyun to come so I can dribble circles around him and he can be even madder.”

“Do it yourself. I’m gonna go set up.” Placing his phone on the table, Hyunwoo hoists up the duffle bag. “But don’t kill each other tonight. I have a test during my 8AM tomorrow.”

Humming with his lips wrapped around the chute of his bottle, Minhyuk waves him off.

“Not only are you an amazing flirt, you’re also very inclusive and mindful of your friends,” Hyungwon says, monotone. He cracks a smile when Minhyuk starts to laugh, choking over the water in his mouth. Patting him on the back, Hyungwon apologizes in between Minhyuk’s coughing.

A weird sense of familiarity prickles in the back of his mind. Not the feeling that he’s experienced this before, but that he’s known this guy for longer than a couple days. It usually takes more time for him to open up to the point of trading quips with people — because he doesn’t so much quip as much as he tries to play off genuine seriousness as deadpan jokes. He’s soured a couple of early impressions with his nonexistent sense of humor.

Once he recovers from his fit, Minhyuk laughs again without the threat of dying. He has a nice laugh; it’s warm and clear, but also doesn’t lose the rasp of his vocal tone. “I’m a pretty great guy if I do say so myself.” He caps his bottle and replaces it on the table.

Hyungwon slides his bag off his shoulder and sets it down on the closest chair. He unzips it and starts pulling out his Macbook. “Is this how you always reel in dates?”

Minhyuk rests his hip against the edge of the table and slips his hands back into his pockets. “There’s nothing sexier than a man with confidence, I’ve heard.”

Humming noncommittally, unsure of if he would label Minhyuk as confident rather than arrogant, Hyungwon lifts the top of Mac and holds his finger down on the power button until it comes to life.

“Nice sweatshirt, by the way. I have a friend who likes Justice League.” Minhyuk tugs at the adjustable string for Hyungwon’s hood.

Looking down at himself, Hyungwon pulls at the front of his sweatshirt. It’s one of his most favorite pieces of clothing because Batman is printed smaller than Superman, the #2 bae after Aquaman. “Yeah? I’m kind of obsessed.”

“So is he. He has this personal vendetta against Batman.”

Hyungwon raises an eyebrow, interested. It’s always nice to hear there are fellow Batman haters out there. He starts to open his mouth to start up his usual rant — a shortened version of a very passionate fifteen minute speech — on Batman, but Minhyuk continues.

“And he’s hardcore into Aquaman. I don’t know anyone who gives a fuck about Aquaman, but I try not to kink shame.”

Hyungwon’s second eyebrow immediately shoots up. That’s even more interesting. What are the odds that Minhyuk would know someone exactly like him?

Minhyuk perks up, snapping his fingers. “I was supposed to message Kihyun,” he says to himself. Grabbing the navy jacket beside him, he weasels his phone out of the side pocket.

Something in Hyungwon's stomach churns uneasily as his mind picks up on too many parallels. What are the odds that Minhyuk would be a business major, have a housemate named Hyunwoo and a friend (and possible other housemate) named Kihyun, and know someone with similar Justice League preferences as Hyungwon? It’s too much of a coincidence. But there’s no way that Minhyuk could be Lee…right? There’s no way that Lee is actually some conceited, strange business major. And attractive, too. Is their campus really so small that they would randomly come across each other like this?

Does Minhyuk know? Is that why he’s been acting so familiar? He can’t be like this with people he doesn’t know, even if he is interested in them.

“Hyungwon?” Minhyuk calls, placing his phone on his jacket. He reaches out and Hyungwon flinches away before he can touch his arm. Minhyuk frowns. His concern is cemented in the intense, imploring look in his eyes and the pull of his brows. “Are you okay? You’re super pale.”

“I…” He can’t tell him the truth, can’t say _oh, it’s just that I’m pretty sure you’re the one who I’ve been talking to for the past two months. And even though I’m glad you turned out to be someone my age and super cute and obviously into me, I was 100% not ready for this and I don’t know what to do because I don’t think you know and I don’t know if I want to tell y_ ou.

“I think I might be getting sick,” he ultimately says. “I should probably go home.” He doesn’t bother to turn off his laptop before slamming it closed. He takes it in his hands and slides it into his still open bag.

If Minhyuk notices Hyungwon’s hands trembling like a wooden shack in a magnitude 6 earthquake while he drags the zip closed, he doesn’t say anything.

“I’ll go with you. Just let me run and tell Hyunwoo that I’m taking you home.” Minhyuk picks up his phone and jacket.

“No,” he declines much too quickly. “I promise it’s okay. Stay. I’ll message you to let you know I’m still alive.” Snatching his book bag out of the chair, Hyungwon all but runs. He doesn’t look back, not even when Minhyuk calls after him that they never exchanged contact information.

Regret washes over him when he makes it to the corner and slows down to cross the street, thankful the pedestrian walk signal is already green. He scrubs his hand over his face, groaning.

“You could’ve asked if his friend’s last name happened to be Chae, but you just _had_ to panic,” he complains, continuing across the street.

It’s too late to turn around now that he’s made a fool of himself and made Minhyuk worry that he was going to faint or something. Hyungwon can text him later, maybe send something sly like ‘I hope you and Hyunwoo had fun playing soccer’ or ‘Did Kihyun actually join you at the Ave.?’ to throw Minhyuk off his game.

Lee turning out to be Minhyuk is both a relief and an even greater cause of distress. At the very least, Hyungwon knows for sure that Lee never lied to him about who he is. But Minhyuk’s attraction to Hyungwon, as well as his refusal to have any kind of tact in expressing it, adds a pinch — a handful? boatload? — of extra stress to an already nerve-wrecking situation. Only because for as much as Minhyuk is very straightforward about what he’s feeling, Hyungwon still can’t predict how he’ll react to the big reveal.

“And now you get to take the first step.” Hyungwon lifts his hands for a muted spirit fingers gesture and an unenthusiastic _woo!_

 

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/24 _06:19pm_**

> got any good plans for tonight?
> 
> more superhero marathons?

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/24 _06:22pm_**

> I wish. I’m trying to work on a final paper.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/24 _06:23pm_**

> nerddddd

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/24 _06:25pm_**

> w/e loser

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/24 _06:25pm_**

> oh how mature

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/24 _06:27pm_**

> You’re the last person who can judge someone for being immature.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/24 _06:28pm_**

> i can judge whoever i want because i’m me

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/24 _06:30pm_**

> I’m rolling my eyes so hard right now.
> 
> Leave me alone. You’re distracting as always.

 

 

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/24 _10:58pm_**

> So, I feel like I should tell you that we’ve met.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/24 _11:14pm_**

> what

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/24 _11:16pm_**

> Last week. You obviously didn’t know, but I’m 75% sure it was you.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/24 _11:17pm_**

> what where how when
> 
> why didn’t you say anything

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/24 _11:19pm_**

> I told you a million times that I’m nervous, you airhead.
> 
> But
> 
> I’ll probably be here in the library for a while
> 
> If you want to come and look for me.
> 
> I’m on the second floor but I won’t tell you who I am.

**FROM: Lee**

**14/11/24 _11:20pm_**

> chae, that’s literally impossible

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/11/24 _11:25pm_**

> No, it’s not. Just look for the pretty boy you think you’ve seen before who looks like he’s on the verge of an anxiety attack. Easy.

 

Minhyuk never goes to the library. There’s never anywhere to sit, it’s too far of a walk from his apartment, and it’s too quiet for him to function properly. He studies in his and Kihyun’s room most of the time and in the dining hall close to the humanities building every once in a while. He hasn’t stepped foot in the library more than twice since the start of this semester.

He bunches up his blanket — thick and hand-knit, from his grandmother — and tosses it to the head of his bed. He accidentally kicked off his left sock a couple of hours ago and never bothered to look for it. He can’t find it now. Not even after turning his bed into a disaster zone.

“What are you doing?” Kihyun asks from where he’s sitting on his bed, hunched over his laptop.

“I can’t find my sock.” Minhyuk bends on his knees and peeks under his bed. Nothing. “Fuck it.” He stands and stomps over to their clothes dresser. Ripping open the first drawer, he pulls out another pair of socks. He tosses one back into the drawer and slips the other one onto his bare foot.

“But why are you so manic right now?”

Minhyuk’s reply is a jumbled collection of sounds. “Where the hell is my sweater?” He looks down. Good, he’s already wearing it.

“Minhyuk.”

Grabbing his phone and his keys, Minhyuk faces his roommate. Kihyun raises an eyebrow.

“I’m going to the library.”

“What is going on at the library at,” Kihyun glances at his laptop, “eleven-thirty at night? On a Monday? Because I know you’re not going to study.”

Minhyuk is already halfway out their bedroom door when he answers Kihyun’s question with a vague, “There’s something I need to find.”

 

The library is a thirty minute walk from the apartment — Minhyuk is forever bitter Kihyun and Hyunwoo decided on the side of campus where you either have to take the bus or walk a thousand miles to find civilization — but as Minhyuk steps out of the building, he spies the university shuttle turning onto the street. The chilled puff of breath floating in front of his face barely begins to dissipate before he takes off toward the bus stop sign at the far end of the street.

Racing for the bus is never fun, especially after the residual ice from the small bit of snowfall two nights ago has solidified in thin sheets over the sidewalk. Minhyuk curses when he slips but, thankfully, he doesn’t fall on his ass. He glances over his shoulder to see the bus steadily making its way up and crosses the street. He slows to a lighter jog once on the other side, the stop only a couple meters further. Once he reaches the sign, he sticks his arm out and waits for the bus to slowly pull up.

“Fuck,” he heaves. Cold air slithers into his lungs as he tries to catch his breath and it causes a pain in his chest.

The door to the bus swings open and Minhyuk digs out his wallet while he waits for a couple to disembark. He climbs up the steps, flashes his university ID to the driver, and quickly shuffles to an empty seat in the middle of the bus.

It takes twenty-five minutes for the shuttle to cycle through the stops before reaching the one outside the library. It’s hardly any faster than walking but the heat that pours out of the vents makes the ride worth it.

Watching the dark campus roll by, he thinks about what is happening. He can’t believe it. He and Chae somehow met? But did he even meet anyone new last week? He can’t even remember what he ate last night, how is he supposed to remember the face of a random person?

He is surprised Chae even told him to come to the library, although he is skeptical of what will happen if Chae really doesn’t give him any other clues as to how to find him. He also wonders if Chae is actually ready; if it took him a week to tell Minhyuk that he knows who he is and still won’t give him any definite descriptions, he’s probably still nervous. Hopefully this meeting doesn’t end with too much disappointment.

Minhyuk sighs and draws a star in the fog that spreads on the window.

The general library is a three-story stone building taller than it is wide, full of books Minhyuk has yet to and most likely never will touch. The bus lets him off right in front and he thanks the driver before powering to the entrance. He unzips his coat but keeps his black and grey plaid scarf wrapped tight around his neck as he walks across the first floor to where the stairs are.

The first floor isn’t completely silent, filled with the low chatter of people studying in groups or talking with friends. The stairs are hidden within the shelves featuring the European history books and Minhyuk trudges up them.

He takes his phone out. He hasn’t received any new messages. As he walks out into the sciences section, he taps out a quick text asking Chae if he’s sure about giving Minhyuk this chance. Of course, he doesn’t receive an immediate text back but there’s time. Who knows how he’s going to find Chae.

Minhyuk runs a hand through his hair. He doesn’t even know where to start. He has nothing to work off of except the knowledge that Chae is tall and a self-proclaimed pretty boy. Neither of those details are helpful like this.

This is floor is quieter than the first but there are also less places to sit, small tables shoved here and there. He tries to peek at the students occupying the tables, but, after making awkward eye contact twice, discomfort starts to build. Minhyuk doesn’t get awkward; he’s immune to that kind of feeling. But this is different. This is uncomfortable, stressful even. He wouldn’t call any of the guys he’s seen so far ‘pretty’ but that’s an issue of how he and Chae define ‘pretty boy’. If he’s not the type Minhyuk considers pretty, then finding him will be only that much more difficult.

There is an open corner of the floor where no one ever sits because there are no electrical outlets and the seating is crappy. Four dingy, mint colored couches sit two across and are separated in the center by round tables too short for anyone to reach comfortably from the couch. Sitting on the floor in front one of the tables, barely fitting between it and the couch, is a very pretty boy.

He’s dozing, with his chin resting in the open palm of his propped up hand. The fingers of his other hand are curled loosely around a pen, as if he was in the middle of writing when exhaustion took over. He looks so cute hunched over the table, thick rimmed glasses askew, hair messy and lanky frame swimming in a large grey hoodie with sleeves too long for his arms.

Cracking a smile, Minhyuk approaches Hyungwon. He’ll say hi and then go back to failing at looking for Chae.

Hyungwon doesn’t register Minhyuk slipping in beside him and that makes his terrified gasp much more satisfying when Minhyuk leans in close and whisper-shouts ‘Boo!’ in his ear. His eyes fly open and he jerks away, the arm lying flat against the table swinging in a wide arc and sending his papers to the floor. He looks down at them and then up at Minhyuk with round eyes.

“You’re here,” says Hyungwon, voice thin and breathless in his surprise.

Fiddling with the zip on his coat, Minhyuk laughs. “Yeah. I’m running into you everywhere lately.”

The surprise in Hyungwon’s expression dulls first into confusion and then realization. “Wait. You…still don’t know,” he says, rather than asking.

“Know what?”

Hyungwon doesn’t say anything, just stares at Minhyuk with too many warring emotions in his eyes for Minhyuk to decipher. “Can you pass me that?” He points to the papers that had fallen.

“Sure, but what don’t I know?” Minhyuk reaches for the sheets and holds them out to Hyungwon who doesn’t move to take the stack. “Uh…”

“Look at them.”

Minhyuk immediately glances down at the front page. “What does this have to do—”

 

**CHAE HYUNGWON**

**Architecture and Urban Design Final Paper Outline/Draft**

And then everything clicks. Chae working in a place that served coffee. Hyungwon’s problem with the friend he hasn’t seen in a while (or, more like, had never seen before). And last week. The park. The Justice League sweatshirt. Hyungwon running away.

“Holy shit. It’s _you_?” Minhyuk says to himself, flipping to another page and reading the same name printed at the top in small font.

“Yeah, it’s kind of surreal.”

“What did I do in my past life for my karma to be this fucking good? The anon guy I was sulking because of is the same as the cutie I’ve been low-key lusting after,” he continues, hardly hearing Hyungwon’s small addition.

With an annoyed groan, Hyungwon shoves Minhyuk who erupts into laughter too loud for their current location. “Really? I’ve been worrying my head off and that’s your reaction? Also, you couldn’t be low-key if you tried.”

Minhyuk quickly comes down from his high and shoots a grin at Hyungwon. For all his annoyance, the younger man looks bashful, cheeks a precious light shade of pink.

“I’m a simple man.” Minhyuk softens his smile. Slipping one arm out of his coat, he raises his hand to cup Hyungwon’s cheek and rubs the pad of his thumb over the warm, pink skin. “I told you there was nothing to worry about. You’re not even that different. You’re the same little awkward nerd that you are on the phone. A little more reserved, yeah, but, in an attempt to be _low-key_ , I’ve been holding back from saying a lot of super inappropriate things myself. But, hey, it’s better me than a complete stranger, right?”

Hyungwon wraps his hand around Minhyuk’s wrist and draws his hand away from his face. “I don’t know about that,” he says, playfulness clear in his tone. “You know where I work, so if I told you to fuck off, you’d probably stalk me there.”

“But you wouldn’t do that because you like me.” Minhyuk pouts.

Taking his work from where it hangs loosely in Minhyuk’s other hand, Hyungwon searches for the sheet had been working on. Placing the papers on the table, he picks up his pen.

The lack of response makes the business student break out into a smirk. “Don’t ignore me, sweetheart. You’ll hurt my feelings.”

Hyungwon snorts. “You don’t have feelings. You only have sex-related hormonal impulses. And don’t call me sweetheart.” He clicks his pen and continues scratching notes and corrections onto his outline.

Shrugging off the rest of his coat, Minhyuk tosses it onto the couch behind them. “Our first meeting and you’re already shooting me down. I thought we had something special.”

“Oh my God, shut up. I decided to tell you because you deserve that much and I kinda like you, but you’re honestly so annoying.”

Minhyuk leans into Hyungwon’s personal space, hooking his chin on his shoulder and dropping his weight onto the younger man. “Hyungwonnnn,” he sings at the same time Hyungwon whines, “Get off of me.” He does no such thing, pressing in closer and resting a light hand on the aspiring architect’s waist.

Hyungwon sighs like he’s never been more inconvenienced in his life but Minhyuk can see him chewing on his bottom lip to curb a smile out of the corner of his eye.

“If I’m so annoying, why are you smiling?” Minhyuk asks, unable and unwilling to stop the grin stretching his own cheeks.

Hyungwon’s jaw shifts when he releases his lip and kills any sign of happiness. “I’m not smiling,” he argues, his voice lilting with amusement.

Humming disbelievingly, Minhyuk fingers the hem of the younger man’s hoodie. “ _Well_ ,” he starts with unnecessary emphasis, “even if you’re mean to me, I’m glad it’s you. I know you’re probably over-thinking as I say this, but I mean it. It’s also ten times more fun to pester you when I can see all the cute faces you make.”

Without turning around, Hyungwon reaches across his body and presses his left index finger to Minhyuk’s lips. “Hush. I’m not over-thinking. I had all week to get over myself and all you’re doing right now is distracting me,” he says. He’s openly smiling again.

Minhyuk puckers his lips, chuckling when Hyungwon rips his finger away from his mouth and slaps the hand Minhyuk still has lingering soft on his waist.

Feeling like he’s done enough, Minhyuk settles down to let Hyungwon do his work. Minhyuk watches him read and reread, take notes and scratch out others. He lifts his chin off Hyungwon’s shoulder so he can fit himself between the younger man and the couch behind him.

Hyungwon relaxes into him almost immediately but not without mumbling, “If I feel you get hard, I’m stepping on your dick and leaving,” as he flips to the next page of his outline.

“Even if he just wants to say ‘hi’?”

“Sorry, I have to ask my mom before I can talk to strangers.”

Exhaling a sharp laugh through his nose, Minhyuk hooks his chin over Hyungwon’s shoulder again. “You’re practically sitting in the lap of a guy you’ve only met in person three times. And may I remind you, we hadn’t quite reached this point of skinship before.”

“I never said I had a working sense of danger. If I did, we wouldn’t even be here right now.”

It’s a joke, but Minhyuk has never been more thankful for anything in his life. He wasn’t sure what would happened when he finally met Chae, and, as much they’ve been toeing the line lately, he didn’t think Hyungwon would be so accepting so soon even if he did take a week to 'get over himself'. Minhyuk expected that they would have to build up to the level of comfortability they were at over the phone all over again, if they would even be able to reach that point without the distance and anonymity between them. But this is nice, feels like where they should be.

“Hey,” Minhyuk breaks the silence after a couple minutes of nothing but pen to paper and the low chatter of other students in the background. “Where are we on a scale from just touchy friendship to you’ll let me kiss you?”

He feels Hyungwon freeze beneath him. “Excuse me?” His blush that had receded flares up again, his ears burning red.

Tilting his head, Minhyuk noses at the slim line of Hyungwon’s neck and is rewarded with a sharp intake of breath. “I want to kiss you.” He draws back and meets Hyungwon’s wide eyes when the younger man turns around. “Can I?”

Hyungwon’s eyes quickly dart down to where a slight smile is forming on Minhyuk’s lips. “I…”

“Unless I misinterpreted when you said you liked me.” Minhyuk lifts a hand to cup the younger man’s cheek. Hyungwon doesn’t push him away this time.

“You didn’t. But I don’t kiss on the first date,” Hyungwon says, his voice weakening to a shy whisper.

Anticipation swirling in his gut, Minhyuk brushes his fingers over the younger man’s soft, pink lips. He removes his glasses and sets them down out of the way. “Then it’s a good thing this is our third,” he whispers in return, leaning in until the tip of Hyungwon’s nose nudges just beneath the bone of his cheek.

Hyungwon’s lips are feather pillow soft, the perfect middle ground between dry and chapstick slick. He smells faintly of coffee but all Minhyuk can taste when Hyungwon finally parts his lips and draws Minhyuk in with light hands and a quick flick of his tongue is the candy of chewing gum. Minhyuk presses in harder, invites himself into the warmth of Hyungwon’s mouth, studies his architecture. He chases after the lingering sweetness, refuses to let go until he name all of the tropical fruit in the artificial sugar, until he catches the lingering, bitter hints of coffee.

Hyungwon makes a soft noise and rises on his knees to slip one leg and then the other over Minhyuk’s, settling in the elder man’s lap without letting the kiss fall apart. His fingers crawl from Minhyuk’s nape and into his hair. Twirling a lock around his index, he curls his finger and tugs.

“I never told you i like your hair better this color,” he mumbles against Minhyuk’s lips.

Minhyuk laughs, low and breathy. “Yeah?”

Hyungwon fits their lips together again and hums in affirmation. The vibration settles beneath Minhyuk’s skin, electricity sparking.

Hands finding hyungwon’s legs, Minhyuk drags his palms from knee to hip. He tells himself that he’ll stop there, won’t let himself get too handsy, but then Hyungwon scratches blunt nails down his scalp. Groaning, Minhyuk grabs his ass and shifts his hips down while pulling Hyungwon as close as the limited space allows.

He wonders if Hyungwon will still step on his dick if he pops a boner.

Drawing back, Minhyuk gives hyungwon’s ass a light squeeze. He watches Hyungwon blink his eyes open through his eyelashes, smiling at his petulant frown. The younger man’s mouth is a delicious candy apple red, swollen and glossy.

Unable to help himself, Minhyuk leans in for a soft peck. “Don’t look at me like that. I was getting too excited.”

Immediately, Hyungwon looks down but Minhyuk isn’t hard enough to tent yet. Still, he says, “you’re gross,” and slides off of his lap. He shoves at Minhyuk’s legs, not caring when they knock against the table and Minhyuk whines.

“I love you too.” Minhyuk bends his knees and pulls his legs into his body, giving Hyungwon enough space to fit in front of the table again. It’s a little farther away from where it was at first; he must have nudged it at some point.

Hyungwon finds his glasses balancing dangerously on the edge and slips them on. “Yeah, whatever.” Lifting his outline, he sweeps his eyes over the table and on the floor around them. He makes a noise of success when he spies whatever he’s looking for to his right. “Minhyuk, pass me my pen.”

Minhyuk blindly feels behind him for his coat, dragging it over his shoulder when he finds it. He unzips the front left pocket and extracts his phone, tossing the coat back. “You brushed off my declaration of love so I’m gonna have to decline.”

“I thought I told you that I couldn’t accept you already. Around the time you talked about stealing my assets or something like that?” Hyungwon rolls onto his knees and crawls over to where his pen has flown.

“I already have all your assets, baby.” Minhyuk reaches out to pinch his ass.

Kicking out his leg, Hyungwon slams his heel into Minhyuk’s shin. It barely hurts, but Minhyuk clutches his leg like his bones have been severely fractured anyway. Pen in hand, Hyungwon returns to his spot in front of the table and sits with his legs folded in front of him. He twirls the writing utensil between his fingers. “Are you going to leave soon?” he asks. His tone is light, but his question still lingers heavier in the air than Minhyuk’s abandoned joke.

“Why would I?” Minhyuk returns, not understanding where Hyungwon is coming from or where’s he’s trying to go. There’s no reason for Minhyuk to leave — unless he’s really distracting Hyungwon as much as the architecture major claims but even that isn’t enough to make Minhyuk grab his coat and go.

“I don’t know. I was just asking.” Hyungwon stops spinning the pen and flips a page of his essay draft with his free hand. “I might’ve just been in your lap, but that doesn’t mean we’re not in a weird spot right now.”

“Why would I leave?” Minhyuk repeats, scooting forward. He slings his arm over Hyungwon’s shoulder. “You can’t get rid of me that easily. I’m like an ant infestation. You think you’ve gotten rid of me but I just keep coming back.”

Hyungwon laughs freely for the first time of the night, loud and uninhibited. The sound brings a smile to Minhyuk’s face and warmth to his chest. It’s amazing how two months of saying dumb shit to a complete stranger has led to making out with a cute, architecture nerd he both knows well and doesn’t know at all. It’s amazing how much he likes this kid, how much _more_ he likes him after knowing who he is.

“That was the worst analogy I’ve ever heard,” says Hyungwon through his dying chuckles. When he sobers, he sighs lightly. “But I’m pretty sure we’re going about this all wrong.”

Minhyuk drops his arm and leans back on his hands. “I mean, yeah, we went from zero to one hundred kinda quickly, but we both admitted that we liked each other in some capacity. Does it actually feel _wrong_ to you or are you thrown off because this wasn’t as awkward as either of us were expecting it to be?”

Hyungwon hums while he contemplates, adding more noise to the air with the rhythmic clicking of his pen.

“I don’t feel like anything is wrong, in case you were wondering.”

“I wasn’t wondering, thanks,” Hyungwon quips. He stops clicking his pen. “I guess it is more of the second. I knew how I felt about you and I knew I could get used to you being the same fuckboy but ten times worse—”

“Uh, rude?” Minhyuk interjects.

“— in person. But I didn’t know how your blatant interest in me would change once you knew I was…Chae or how your idea of Chae would change because he was me. You were too hard to read.”

Minhyuk nods. He can understand that. And, to be honest, he’s not sure if this would have played out the same is Chae turned out to be someone other than Hyungwon. Especially because he was already attracted to Hyungwon before he realized he was catching feelings for him over the phone.

“Well, now you know that I’m a huge fuckboy no matter who you are or how much I like you. The man of your dreams, am I right or am I right?”

Hyungwon gives him a dead-eyed stare that Minhyuk combats by winking and puckering his lips. Shaking his head, Hyungwon ignores him and goes back to his draft.

Chuckling — cackling, really, Minhyuk reaches behind himself and grabs his phone. As he unlocks it, he wonders if he should tell Kihyun that he’s finally met Chae. They never really talked about it after the intervention, Kihyun choosing to ‘let Minhyuk be the fucking idiot he wants to be’ and promising to ‘pour a glass of 7-Eleven wine for the fallen’ if he and Hyunwoo heard about police finding Minhyuk’s dead body at the riverbank on the 6 o'clock news.

Fittingly, he has a text from Kihyun timestamped ten minutes ago. It reads:

 

> going to bed soon. if you wake me up coming home, i’ll gut you and string your innards on the walls like christmas lights <3

Kihyun is such a sweetheart.

He’s probably still awake, so Minhyuk tells him to check Snapchat and then switches apps to take a Snap of Hyungwon’s side profile. He captions the picture with ‘guess who’ followed by three lady-in-the-red-dress emojis and sends it to Kihyun. In the meantime, he checks out what some of his friends have posted. He snorts at a series of videos Jooheon pretending to be a high school senior and joining the tours meant for incoming freshman.

A notification pops up at the top of his screen and Minhyuk taps it. Kihyun’s reply snap is of the darkness of their room, the words ‘am i supposed 2 know who tf that is’ a blinding white in contrast.

Hyungwon doesn’t complain aside from an annoyed groan when Minhyuk turns his head and captures his lips in a soft kiss. The position is uncomfortable with the way they’re sitting and Minhyuk’s arm hanging at an odd angle as he records a short ten second clip.

“I’m not going to ask,” Hyungwon mumbles into his mouth before tearing away.

And Minhyuk doesn’t explain, all of his attention on his phone. He mutes the video and throws on the black and white filter. He saves the video to his phone before sending it to Kihyun.

The reply is another black screen with large white text. _thought u were getting a book wtf man._

Rolling his eyes, Minhyuk holds his camera lens against his leg to take a colorless picture of his own. _Hyungwon aka bathroom # boy._

Kihyun doesn’t respond immediately, but when he does it’s all squiggly hand-drawn question marks and followed up with, _he cute. could do a lot better than you_.

Minhyuk decides to save the rest of the conversation for tomorrow in favor of letting his roommate sleep. If Kihyun isn’t losing his mind right now, then he’s too tired for anything to sink into his big head. Returning to the home screen of his phone, Minhyuk hovers his thumb over the other social media apps littering the screen. He passes over them, choosing to open the internet browser and pull up their university page. He types in his login information and opens his university email in a new tab.

There’s nothing interesting in his inbox, some emails about weekly meetings for the student organizations he signed up for but has never participated in and one from his Business Law professor about a change in the class schedule. He contemplates checking his grades — his midterm scores should be posted by now — but before he knows it, he’s exiting the browser and scrolling through Twitter.

He glances up when he catches Hyungwon jerk out of the corner of his eye. Flicking his gaze to the top of his phone screen, he realizes that nearly fifteen minutes have passed since he opened Twitter. Locking his phone and dropping it on the floor beside him, Minhyuk rests his hand on Hyungwon’s hip and looks to see how much work he’s gotten done. He watches until he realizes a strange pattern.

“Babe, you’ve been underlining that sentence for at least the past minute.” Minhyuk points out, tracing lines and shapes into the small of Hyungwon’s back.

“Hm?” Hyungwon hums like he’s listening but he doesn’t stop.

Sighing, Minhyuk shakes his head with a fond smile. “If you’re tired, you should go home. You were falling asleep when I got here too, now that I think about it.”

Hyungwon makes a noise that was probably supposed to be a whine, but sounds more like a groggy groan. “But I still need to finish reviewing my first draft and do a little bit more research on —”

“When is this paper due?” Flattening his palm against Hyungwon’s back, Minhyuk switches to rubbing his hand up to his shoulder blades and down to the where he can feel the waistband of his jeans beneath his hoodie.

“Not until finals week…”

Minhyuk angles his arm over Hyungwon’s and slips the pen out of his loose grasp. He sets it down and scoops the younger man up and into his lap. “It’s already nearing 1AM. You can do it tomorrow.”

Hyungwon’s light laugh gets caught on a yawn. “I’m not taking time management advice from the guy who procrastinates on everything.”

“Hyungwon, I just want you to call it a night before you scribble all over your paper.”

“I’m _awake_. I’m not going to —”

Minhyuk jabs his finger at the paper where Hyungwon’s underlining was getting dangerously bold.

“Okay, fine, I see you point,” Hyungwon concedes, rubbing at his eyes tiredly.

“Good.” Leaning over Hyungwon’s shoulder, Minhyuk brushes his lips over his cheek. “I would offer to walk you home, but it’s too fucking cold for that.”

“What a gentleman.” Hyungwon snorts. He takes Minhyuk’s hand to play with his fingers.

Minhyuk shrugs. “My middle name _is_ Chivalry.”

“Chivalry is dead,” notes Hyungwon.

“And that’s exactly why I’m not risking my dick freezing off by walking your ass home.”

Hyungwon sucks in a breath and exhales slowly. “There are no words to describe how much I regret this.”

Minhyuk grins and kisses the younger man’s cheek again. “Love you too, babe.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is the end! (technically speaking). there's something else i want to add later (spoiler alert: it's smut) but i'm working on a minhyuk/hyungwon prince!au for national novel writing month right now so idk when i'll have time to write it.
> 
> i didn't reply to any comments cuz i felt weird about inflating the number but all of them made my day and i love all of you


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: i speed wrote this because i procrastinated through december and was gonna fight myself if i took longer than hyungwon's bday to finish it and it's not his birthday where i live but it is somewhere in the world and this is probably shit but idgaf it's done. i'll edit it one day (if i remember)

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/02 02 _:25pm_**

> Can you stop staring at me, you fucking creep?
> 
> I’m trying to enjoy my break.

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/02 02 _:26pm_**

> not until you walk your pretty ass over here

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/02 02 _:26pm_**

> Why don’t you come over here?

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/02 02 _:26pm_**

> im sitting in a warm spot
> 
> i wont give up heat for you

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/02 02 _:27pm_**

> should you really be flipping ppl off at work
> 
> how unprofessional
> 
> tsk tsk tsk

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/02 02 _:28pm_**

> Go away.

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/02 02 _:28pm_**

> just come sit with me

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/02 02 _:28pm_**

> No.

 

He was already smirking throughout the exchange, but a wide grin stretches across Minhyuk’s face as he watches Hyungwon heave a sigh and leave his stool at the bar to walk across the coffee shop to where Minhyuk is sitting against the wall. The annoyance on his pretty face makes Minhyuk want to laugh but he holds it in. Chin settled in the palm of his propped up arm, Minhyuk blinks up at Hyungwon innocently when the architecture student stops beside his table and glares down at him.

“You should be in class,” Hyungwon says, frowning.

Reaching out to grasp Hyungwon’s free hand with his own, Minhyuk threads their fingers together. “Relax, nerdling. It was canceled.”

“And you came to bother me at work instead?”

“You’re on break.” Minhyuk lightly tugs on Hyungwon’s hand and pulls him in to sit halfway on his left leg. He releases Hyungwon’s hand in favor of settling it on his hip.

Hyungwon takes a sip of his mocha and looks around the store. He locks eyes with the woman behind the counter and mouths at her to _stop wiggling your eyebrows at me_. “It’s not really appropriate for me to be sitting in your lap,” he says, turning his head around to look at Minhyuk.

As soon as he sets his mocha on the table, Minhyuk picks it up for a taste. “No one cares, you prude.” He brings the holiday green cup to his mouth. The warm peppermint and white chocolate drink barely slides over his tongue before Hyungwon lifts his hand and punches him in the dick.

Reflexively, Minhyuk raises the leg Hyungwon isn’t weighing down, trapping his hand between his thighs. He would have dropped the mocha if Hyungwon didn’t take it out of his hand and smugly take another sip.

He manages to swallow the liquid in his mouth, coughing once it goes down.

“Sorry, I was aiming for your leg,” Hyungwon says.

Even if Minhyuk couldn’t hear the laughter in the other man’s voice, he still wouldn’t have believed him. “I want to speak to your manager,” he croaks once he’s sure he’s not going to cry.

Hyungwon blinks twice and tilts his head to the side. “What? Sorry, suddenly I’ve lost hearing in both my ears.”

Minhyuk slips his hand past Hyungwon’s black apron and pinches his stomach just above his waistband. The man in his lap erupts into quiet giggles, attempting to wiggle away from Minhyuk’s hand without falling off his leg.

“You’re so mean to me.” Minhyuk pouts, switching tactics and crawling his fingers up Hyungwon’s side to tickle beneath his arm. He relaxes his legs enough for Hyungwon to slip his hand from between them and is immediately swatted at.

“Stop!” he begs in between light giggling, trying to keep his voice down. “You can’t do this while I’m at work, stupid!”

Minhyuk doesn’t relent in his attack, unable to keep from smiling when Hyungwon’s face fills with pink. It’s so cute, how easily embarrassed he is. Even when that embarrassment turns into ball-busting violence. “You shouldn’t be hitting customers,” he says sternly. He pulls Hyungwon further into his lap when he notices him trying to wiggle away and wraps his arms around his waist.

“You haven’t bought anything!” Hyungwon whips his head around eyes the other people in the coffee shop. They’re sitting in the back, not quite in the corner, and no one but the girls sitting two tables away giving them the stink eye seem to be paying attention to them. The coffee chain isn’t in the middle of a rush, or else Hyungwon wouldn’t still be sitting here, but there’s a decent amount of students filling the place and making enough noise to counter Minhyuk and Hyungwon’s fooling around.

“I would have if you didn’t just assault me.”

Hyungwon snorts and shifts so he can look at Minhyuk with a look of disbelief. “You’ve been watching me for fifteen minutes. You weren’t going to buy anything.”

“I was waiting for the line to go down,” Minhyuk defends himself, determined to lie to the very end.

“Okay, so what were you going to get?” Hyungwon asks, placing his own drink on the table and crossing his arms as he waits for the answer. His elbow kind of digs into Minhyuk’s chest but the older man decides not to comment on it.

“Probably a gingerbread latte.” Sliding his hands under Hyungwon’s apron, Minhyuk palms the meat of his thighs and squeezes gently.

Hyungwon fixes him with a warning look, eyes narrowed. “Do you always have to be so touchy? I don’t need people to see you feeling me up.”

There’s something about Hyungwon’s _stop-doing-that-minhyuk-jesus-christ_ face that makes Minhyuk want to kiss him — although Minhyuk wants to kiss him when he smiles too, and when he’s sleepy, and he hasn’t seen the kind of face Hyungwon makes when he’s sad, but it’ll probably still make Minhyuk want to kiss him. But he doesn’t lean in to capture those perfect lips, knowing he should already consider himself lucky that Hyungwon hasn’t moved from his lap.

“I’m afraid that if I stop, you might fly back to heaven and leave me.” He grins and throws in a wink.

Hyungwon sucks in a sharp breath through his nose and pulls his bottom lip into his mouth. He looks like he can’t decide if he wants to break out a smile or if he wants to punch Minhyuk in the throat and _then_ smile. “I’m allergic to cheese.”

Rolling his eyes, Minhyuk nudges Hyungwon with his shoulder. “You like it. You like _me._ ”

“I liked you last week. I don’t know how I feel about you _now._ ”

“That sounds like you might be in love with me.”

“Yeah, no, that sounds like the complete opposite of what I said.”

“You’re still in denial. That’s okay.”

“Have we put a label on this relationship yet? Because I think I want to end—”

“Hyungwon!”

Both men look up at the call of the younger man’s name. The woman who was working the register is hanging over the bar, waving her hand and beckoning Hyungwon over.

Hyungwon nods, waving his own hand around arbitrarily until she turns to go back to work. Sighing lightly, he taps Minhyuk’s hands until the older man moves them. “Alright, I have to go.”

Humming, Minhyuk crosses his arms over his chest. Only now does he notice the rush of people. Since Hyungwon is going back to work, Minhyuk figures he may as well stop loitering. There’s no point in staying if he’s not commandeering all of Hyungwon’s attention.

“Do you have class after you get off?” He asks as Hyungwon stands up, reaching out to adjust the younger man’s messy apron.

A small frown pushes at Hyungwon’s lips and he answers, “Design from six to eight.”

“Do you want to come over when you’re done?”

Hyungwon blinks and raises an eyebrow. “To your place?”

Minhyuk laughs. “Could you sound a little bit more interested? It’s just to hang out, you know. It’s hardly been a week but Kihyun thinks it’s a conspiracy that I haven’t brought you over yet.”

Hyungwon glances at the front of the coffee shop where the line is getting longer and longer. “Okay,” he agrees.

“Great!” Minhyuk smiles and leans in to kiss his cheek. He picks up Hyungwon’s leftover mocha and takes a sip. It’s bordering on lukewarm but he’ll drink it anyway. “I’m stealing this. I’m going to the computer lab after my four o’clock so text me when you get out of class.”

 

“Minhyuk, maybe we should stop,” Hyungwon sighs. He curls his fingers over Minhyuk’s shoulders, pressing harder into the bone and sucking in a breath when Minhyuk pushes his black polo shirt further up beneath his armpits and lightly drags his front teeth over a pale pink nipple.

Humming against Hyungwon’s flushed skin, Minhyuk glances up through his lashes and meets the younger man’s wide, nervous eyes. He breathes out a laugh, smirking when Hyungwon shivers at his air fanning out over the wet on his chest.

“Maybe we should,” he agrees. Shifting his weight forward, he settles with his forearms caged on either side of Hyungwon’s head. He wedges his knee in between Hyungwon’s thighs, nudging them open so he can fit between those long legs he’s thought about too many times in the past week since he and Hyungwon went from arguably acquaintances to arguably couple of the year.

They weren’t supposed to get this far in the first place. Minhyuk thought they’d cuddle, maybe make out a little, while they waited for Kihyun to get back with the pizza they ordered on his way home from a group meeting that ran late, but now he’s half hard and a maximum of five minutes away from seeing what kind of faces Hyungwon makes when there’s a hand in his pants. Hyunwoo is down the hall in the living room, watching some sports game if the sound of the announcer commentary coming through the walls is anything to go by. He can’t hear what they’re up to, although he probably wouldn’t be surprised considering Minhyuk’s history with bringing back dates.

“You’re literally a dog in heat,” Hyungwon chides, a frown pulling at his swollen lips as he matches Minhyuk’s stare.

Unable to help himself, Minhyuk barks playfully. “You gonna buy me a collar, baby?”

Hyungwon rolls his eyes and drags a hand from Minhyuk’s shoulder to his neck to pinch his nape. “I think my dick just shriveled up and died after that,” he says.

Minhyuk raises an eyebrow and hums a curious noise. “Yeah?” He rolls his hips into the younger man’s, biting his lip to muffle a low groan at the sweet pressure on his own semi. Hyungwon’s eyelids flutter and one of his legs reflexively starts to curl around Minhyuk’s waist. “Seems fine to me.”

“Minhyuk, I’m serious. We can’t—” Hyungwon bites back a soft moan, tilting his head back when Minhyuk does it again, setting up a lazy rhythm. He scratches blunt nails over the back of Minhyuk’s neck with one hand and balls up the collar of his sweater with the other.

The drag of the door against the thick carpet makes Hyungwon pull away with a sharp gasp. He untangles his arms from around Minhyuk’s neck and pushes him away none too gently.

Sitting back on his heels, Minhyuk runs a hand through his hair and looks over his shoulder at Kihyun who stares back with narrowed eyes and his lips set in a firm, unamused line.

“Are you fucking kidding me, Minhyuk?” His best friend asks, exasperated. He’s hanging in the doorway, one hand still on the knob. Kihyun shifts his gaze from Minhyuk to the man lying in front of him. “Hey,” he says, a weird half-smile half-grimace on his face.

Hyungwon sits up and tugs his shirt down. He puts some distance between himself and Minhyuk, scooting back until he’s pressed up against the wall. “Uh, yeah, hey.”

The entire situation is funny, so Minhyuk laughs. His laughter turns into a surprised shriek when Hyungwon roughly kicks him in the hip, pushing him off the edge of his bed. “Ouch?” He mock glares at his boyfriend. His elbow took the brunt of the fall and now a tingling pain is crawling up his arm.

Hyungwon pulls his legs into his chest and crosses his arms over his knees. “Shut up, Minhyuk. I told you we needed to stop.”

“Babe, Kihyun doesn’t mind.” Minhyuk rubs at his arm.

From the doorway, Kihyun clears his throat and says, “Kihyun minds a lot, actually.”

“Nobody asked Kihyun for his opinion,” Minhyuk replies, standing up and adjusting the waistband of his sweatpants without sparing a glance to his roommate.

“When Kihyun hears people talking about him, he makes sure they have their facts straight. And when Kihyun asked his best friend if he’d ever meet his boyfriend, he didn’t mean bring him over and dry fuck him for the whole world to see.”

“Maybe if Kihyun knocked before he opened the door, he wouldn’t have seen anything.”

“I’m leaving if you two are actually going to go back and forth in the third person like this.” Hyungwon looks between the two and slips off the bed.

Chuckling, Minhyuk catches Hyungwon around the waist before he can go anywhere.

 

They relocate to the living room, Minhyuk’s arms wrapped around Hyungwon’s waist the entire way down the hall. Hyungwon complains about the awkward waddle he has to do with Minhyuk attached like a leech to his back, so, naturally, Minhyuk ignores him in favor of littering his neck with sloppy, wet kisses.

“Stop, you idiot. We’re going to fall.” Hyungwon says when their feet get tangled, Minhyuk taking too big of a step and throwing off their stride when he gets too caught up in his kisses to pay attention to what his legs are doing. “How do you live with this kid?” He directs to Kihyun who laughs through his nose.

“You’re the one who likes this kid,” Minhyuk retorts. He clasps his hands together and flexes, easily lifting the lighter man off the floor. Hyungwon squeaks and grips Minhyuk’s forearms tight like he’ll fall if he doesn’t cut crescents into his skin.

Minhyuk thinks about placating him, about telling him that he’s not going to drop him when he hardly weighs anything, but he doesn’t because that would be the proper thing to do. Instead, he blows a raspberry just below his hairline and whirls him around, careful not to swing him into the wall of their cramped hallway.

It’s only been a week since the change in their relationship and Minhyuk can already comfortably say that his most favorite sound in the world is that of Hyungwon screeching his name in mild distress. The sound of his evil-witch-cackle laugh is a close second.

He lets Hyungwon down after that one turn and is immediately blessed with a slight frown and an unspoken ‘really?’ Minhyuk kisses the frown away, lightly brushing his fingers against Hyungwon’s sides until he feels the younger man smile against his lips.

“You’re annoying,” Hyungwon whispers, closing his eyes and pressing their foreheads together.

“You’re cute when you’re annoyed with me,” Minhyuk replies, voice equally soft.

“I’m going to vomit.”

Hyungwon snorts at Kihyun’s interruption and takes a few steps back away from Minhyuk. “Where’s the pizza?” He asks, turning and walking down the hall, past where Kihyun is lingering where the hall expands into the living room.

Kihyun watches Hyungwon walk by before turning to Minhyuk with a proud father smile. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you so…honeymoon phase.”

Shrugging lazily, Minhyuk rubs at his arm. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a relationship that started with feelings instead of sex.”

The living room is quiet save for the sound of college basketball playing in the background when Minhyuk and Kihyun properly enter the room. Hyunwoo and Hyungwon are sitting on the couch. Both have slices of pizza in hand, Hyunwoo’s half eaten and Hyungwon’s only missing a couple pepperonis, and both are completely silent.

“Could you two be any more socially inept?” Minhyuk asks as he makes his way to the couch and falls in the space next to Hyungwon. “You already met.” He leans down to take a bite of Hyungwon’s pizza and gets a hand to the face pushing his head away.

“I’m not sharing with you,” Hyungwon says, holding his plate out of reach.

Minhyuk tries to convince him with a full pout and big puppy-dog eyes.

“Don’t look at me like that. You’re ruining my appetite.”

Both Hyunwoo and Kihyun burst into laughter.

“He’s a keeper,” Kihyun says, opening one of the two greasy, brown cardboard boxes and peeling a slice of pepperoni from the pie. He slaps it down on the topmost plate of the stack next to the box and plops down in the solo chair, still chuckling just the slightest bit.

“It wasn’t that funny. Shut up.” Minhyuk raises his arm like he’s gonna hit him, like he can reach Kihyun from across the coffee table. Hyungwon pats his shoulder sympathetically, ears pink at Kihyun’s words.

“So we haven’t been properly introduced,” Kihyun starts, locking eyes with Hyungwon. He sets his plate in his lap. “I’m Kihyun. The unfortunate best friend.”

“He’s unfortunate because he’s a miserable little rat, not because he’s my best friend,” Minhyuk elaborates.

“Fuck you.”

Minhyuk loops his arms around Hyungwon’s waist and rests his chin on his shoulder. “Sorry, I’m taken.”

“I’m Hyungwon,” the architecture student says before the two roommates can start bickering. “And, equally as unfortunately, his boyfriend.”

“You didn’t seem so unfortunate when you had your legs around my waist a couple minutes ago.”

Hyungwon, about to take a bite of his pizza, chokes on air, exploding into a fit of coughs. Minhyuk thumps his back heavily with his fist and gets slapped in the thigh for his attempt to save his boyfriend’s life. How ungrateful.

“Can you _not_?” Hyungwon begs once he’s caught his voice. He looks like he’s been out in the sun without sunscreen, skin red and splotchy from head to toe.

Minhyuk sweetly kisses his tomato cheek.

Kihyun picks a pepperoni off his slice and rips it in half with his front teeth. “You’re too cute for such an asshole, Hyungwon.”

Minhyuk narrows his eyes at his best friend in mock suspicion. “Are you trying to hit on him? And here I thought that you weren’t a threat all these years.” He pauses and clicks his tongue. “I mean, you’re still not a threat because you’re like ten centimeters tall and I’m the complete package, but you get my point.”

Rolling his eyes, Kihyun looks at Hyungwon again with an expression that reads ‘you see what I mean?’

Hyungwon grins, even as he fans his warm face. “Don’t worry, I know. He’s just a charity case I’ve taken on for the winter. I spend some time with him, make him feel loved so that he doesn’t get too bent about being alone during the holidays. I’ve heard the ones with the biggest egos cry the hardest when they realize how alone they are.”

Minhyuk blinks in surprise at the youngest man’s words, not expecting the elaborate joke. He imagined Hyungwon would simply agree that he’s an asshole or otherwise call him annoying like he’s so fond of doing. But he collects himself and pouts, pretending to snuffle like he’s crying. “Is that all I am to you?”

Humming, Hyungwon nods. “I’m only in it for the feeling that I’ve done something good for the people. Sorry, darling” He pats Minhyuk’s cheek like he would a kid throwing a tantrum.

Minhyuk puts his hand on his chest in overdramatic shock. “I can’t believe this.”

“At least he didn’t say he was only in it for the dick,” Hyunwoo says, comfortingly.

Hyungwon latches onto the opening, looking at Hyunwoo with bored, low-lidded eyes. “Going by what I could _barely_ feel just now, I've definitely had better.”

“Okay, now I’m actually offended. Don’t come for my baby like that.” Minhyuk cups his crotch to the visible disgust and annoyance of both Kihyun and Hyungwon.

Hyunwoo puts his pizza down long enough to clap slowly. “You’re right. He is a keeper.”

 

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/13 _01:42pm_**

> nudes?

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/13 _01:45pm_**

> Nu phone who dis?

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/13 _01:45pm_**

> hyungwonnnnnn

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/13 _01:46pm_**

> Sorry. I think you have the wrong number.
> 
> Please don’t contact me ever again.

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/13 _01:46pm_**

> DDDD:

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/13 _01:46pm_**

> /shrug

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/13 _01:47pm_**

> just one pic of your thighs
> 
> or your stomach
> 
> or your toes
> 
> i’m flexible really

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/13 _01:49pm_**

> …
> 
> Are you actually horny right now?

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/13 _01:50pm_**

> no i’m asking for science

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/13 _01:50pm_**

> You’re disgusting.
> 
> Do you want to come over?
> 
> Changkyun isn’t here.

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/13 _02:03pm_**

> Minhyuk, stop playing with your dick for 30 seconds and answer me or I’m going to assume it’s a no.

 

 

Hyungwon blinks when his phone lights up a second before it starts ringing, Minhyuk’s name popping up on the caller ID. Sighing, he flops back down on his bed and slides his finger across the screen. He lifts the phone to his ear. “Are you finished or are you done?”

“I wasn’t jerking it, babe. I was explaining to Kihyun why I was leaving our study session when we just sat down like 30 minutes ago.”

Looking from one corner of his ceiling to the other, Hyungwon lets that sink in. “You were trying to sext me in public?”

Minhyuk’s scratchy laugh filters through the receiver. “You sound surprised that I would do that.”

Hyungwon makes a contemplative noise. “True. That does sound like something you would do.” He rolls onto his side and pillows his head on his arm. “So, are you coming?”

Minhyuk hums an affirmative. “You live in the complex around the corner from Starbucks, right?”

“Yeah. Building Two. Text me when you get here ‘cause I have to go down and let you in.”

“Gotcha. Put on something nice for me. Like that sexy mumm—”

Hyungwon tosses his phone to the other side of his bed, not bothering to watch the call screen revert to the home screen. It chirps not even a minute later but he doesn’t reach for it, knowing it’s only a text from Minhyuk complaining about being hung up on. He lies there for a short while, doing nothing but looking at the dirty clothes he has lying on the floor.

“I guess today is the day,” he says to himself, scratching his ankle with his ugly Christmas socked toes.

Flipping onto his other side, he flicks his gaze up to his bedside table and the glittery, dark purple toy he left sitting there. What a coincidence that he’d been planning to use it this weekend ever since Changkyun told him he wouldn’t be here and just now Minhyuk sent him the first perverted text in about two weeks.

Hyungwon sits up and swings his legs over the side of his bed. “He’s lucky.”

 

 

He gets a message from Minhyuk to come let him in while he's raiding Changkyun's mini freezer for taquitos. He doesn't even really like them, thinks they taste like cardboard and plastic, but after watching what he's been eating for the past couple of days, he doesn't give a fuck anymore. He shuts the freezer door and exits Changkyun's room, trailing down the hall toward the front door. He sticks his toes in a pair of slip-ons, not bothering to put his feet in all the way, and heads outside. As he waits for the elevator to reach his floor, he tells Minhyuk that he's on his way.

When he reaches the ground floor of the building, he immediately spies Minhyuk standing in the small lobby where the mailboxes are. He's bouncing on his toes, trying to stay warm in his black winter coat, dark green plaid scarf, and black beanie.

A sweet smile blooms on Minhyuk's face when he notices Hyungwon approaching the locked door and Hyungwon can't help but return it with a fond look of his own.

"Hey, gorgeous," Minhyuk greets after Hyungwon opens the door and pushes it open for him to come inside. He leans in for a kiss but Hyungwon slips out of reach at the last second.

Hyungwon laughs at the way the business student stumbles forward slightly when he tries to chase Hyungwon's lips. Backtracking to the elevator, Hyungwon presses the call button and the door creeks open. They enter the claustrophobic box and Hyungwon barely presses the button for his floor before Minhyuk is crowding him into a corner.

"You can't play hard to get after you invited me over," he says low under his breath, settling his hands on Hyungwon's waist.

Trying to hide a smile, Hyungwon slowly glides his tongue across his bottom lip. "Maybe I didn't ask you over here to touch me." He pinches the front of Minhyuk's beanie and tugs it down over his eyes. "Don't get too excited."

The elevator slows to a stop and Hyungwon gently pushes the older man away as the door opens. He leads the way to his apartment, letting Minhyuk go in first before closing the door behind the both of them.

"Where's Changkyun?" Minhyuk drops his bookbag by the door and bends over to take off his boots.

Kicking off his own shoes, Hyungwon squeezes around Minhyuk to cross the invisible line between the entryway and the living room. "At home," he answers, watching Minhyuk nudge his boots off to the side.

The older man unbuttons his coat and shrugs it off.

"You can leave that wherever you want."

Unwinding his scarf from around his neck, Minhyuk drapes it and his coat over the back of the couch.

"Was Kihyun mad you skipped out on studying?" Hyungwon asks, crossing the small distance between them and taking one of Minhyuk's hands in his.

Minhyuk snorts. "He's always mad. He doesn't really need a reason." He swings their hands back and forth. "He said he wouldn’t help me with marketing, but I already know that’s a lie so it’s whatever.” He shrugs.

“We should all study together one day.”

Minhyuk shakes his head. “No offense; I like having you around and all but I wouldn’t be able to focus.”

Hyungwon can’t help but laugh disbelievingly, looking at Minhyuk like he’s just told a joke. “You can’t focus _now_. You were trying to get me to send you pictures of my feet earlier, you little freak.”

“I am but a mindless vessel for my dick to control.”

Hyungwon punches the older man in the chest. “Stupid.” Gently tugging at Minhyuk's hand in a silent command, Hyungwon takes small steps backward toward the hall. "Cuddle with me?"

Minhyuk raises an eyebrow, smirking lightly as he lets himself be pulled. "Do you trust me to _just_ cuddle with you?"

"Yes," Hyungwon answers immediately, tightening his grip on the business student’s hand. He turns around to continue walking. "And maybe if you're good, we can play."

"What do you mean 'if'? I'm always good."

“Mhm,” Hyungwon hums, not listening.

His room is the only door on the right, across from the bathroom. In the time he waited for Minhyuk to arrive he cleaned up a little (read: kicked his clothes into a neat pile next to his empty laundry basket). Minhyuk doesn’t seem to care about the slight mess, stepping over a pair of jeans Hyungwon somehow missed without even looking down at them.

The business student slips his hand from Hyungwon’s and hops onto the bed. “This is exactly how I imagined your room to be.”

Hyungwon isn’t sure what he means by that but Minhyuk zones in on something else he should have tidied up and opens his mouth again before he can ask.

“Who is this? I didn’t know you were cheating on me.” Minhyuk scoots to the left side of the bed and plucks the dildo off the bedside table. He holds it at eye-level and smirks. “Am I not enough for you, babe?”

Hyungwon shakes his head as he climbs on the bed. “He fulfills me in a way you can’t.” He easily plucks the toy from Minhyuk’s hand and cradles it in his own. It was a gag gift from Hoseok — ‘a late additional birthday present,’ he had said — because Hyungwon’s relationship with his then-boyfriend had already taken a turn for the worst and they wouldn’t sleep in the same room as each other, let alone have sex. “I couldn’t find the heart to tell you.”

“I might not be as beautiful as him but I can definitely fulfill you better than he can.” Minhyuk wags his eyebrows and leans back on his palms. His eyes are bright with amusement, although Hyungwon doesn’t miss the heady interest.

“I don’t know.” Hyungwon tilts his head and drags his forefinger up the silicon shaft to the head. “He’s pretty great.” He brushes his thumb lightly over the tip, pretending not to notice the way Minhyuk is following his fingers like a dog waiting for its owner to throw a bone.

“He’s so sweet and sensitive. Doesn’t say shitty porn lines. Is still there in the morning when I wake up.” Curling his forefinger and thumb, he squeezes the head and slowly slides the ring of his fingers down to the base. He fondles the perfectly round balls with his remaining three fingers, fighting the smirk that dares to tug at his mouth when he watches Minhyuk wet his lips and swallow thickly. Sighing softly, he begins to work the shaft at a slow pace. “Always knows what I need before I say anything. Knows just how I like it.”

“You’re pushing it, Chae,” Minhyuk says, warning thick in his voice. He licks his lips again and when he flicks his gaze up, the want on his face makes a low heat settle in Hyungwon’s cheeks and the pit of his stomach.

Hyungwon bat his eyelashes and feigns innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Still, he stops. He crawls over Minhyuk, one knee pressed into the bed between his legs, to gingerly set his dildo back where it was. With his hands free, he pats Minhyuk’s chest twice. “We should cuddle.”

Minhyuk shakes his head, looking like he’ll die if Hyungwon actually makes them cuddle. “No, we shouldn’t.” He places his hands on Hyungwon's waist and turns the younger man to face him.

Hyungwon shifts his left leg so he's straddling Minhyuk but doesn't move to sit in his lap, staying on his knees. He loops his arms around his boyfriend's neck. "You said you would cuddle with me."

"Technically, I didn't." Minhyuk sneaks chilly fingers beneath the hem of Hyungwon's shirt. "But we can cuddle later."

Hyungwon lets him push his shirt up to his ribcage, taking off Minhyuk’s beanie and threading his fingers into his hair as the older man kisses his stomach, just beside his bellybutton.

"What if I want to cuddle _now_?" He asks.

Shrugging, Minhyuk nips at a spot on his stomach, soothing the bite with his tongue. “Not my problem.”

Pausing his fingers that were softly running through Minhyuk’s hair, Hyungwon lightly slaps the back of his head. “It kinda is.”

Minhyuk, unsurprisingly, ignores him, determined to draw out the entire galaxy across Hyungwon’s lean, muscled stomach with his lips. “Take this off,” he mumbles, shaking his hand.

“You’re not being very good right now.” Hyungwon grips the bunched up hem of his shirt despite his teasing and pulls it over his head, blindly tossing it behind him.

Raising an eyebrow, Minhyuk doesn’t respond; he only detaches himself from Hyungwon long enough to tug his sweater off and work at the line of buttons down the front of his red plaid flannel.

Cupping his jaw, Hyungwon tilts Minhyuk’s head back with strong fingers pressing into the back of his neck and leans down to taste the lingering notes of bitter coffee on the business student’s tongue. For as tightly wound Hyungwon knows Minhyuk is, he doesn’t complain when Hyungwon kisses him languidly, slow like they have all the time in the world, like neither of them are in a rush to go further.

Minhyuk shrugs his shirt off his shoulders but doesn’t take it off, the fabric hanging off his back and the sleeves pooling at his elbows. He grips Hyungwon’s legs around the back of his thighs, kneading them through the navy sweats hanging loosely off his hips.

“Sit,” he breathes into the corner of Hyungwon’s mouth, punctuating the request with a sharp slap to his ass. “My neck is starting to hurt.”

Hyungwon nods and slides his hands from Minhyuk’s face to his shoulders, flatting his palms against the bone and pushing the older man onto his back. Minhyuk isn’t Hoseok-levels of fit but the defined lines of his abdomen are a sign that he works out more than Hyungwon (although that isn’t very hard to accomplish). Sitting back on Minhyuk’s legs, he runs a finger from his collarbone to his waistband, admiring the smooth, winter-paled skin and the ripple of Minhyuk’s muscles under his touch.

He retraces the path of his finger with his mouth, sucking a bruise into Minhyuk’s neck and ignoring the vibration of the latter’s rough chuckle as he shifts down his body and kisses down his chest. Hyungwon thumbs the zip of Minhyuk’s jeans, immediately following the light caress with his lips.

Minhyuk sighs softly, arching his back a couple inches off the bed so he can worm out of the rest of his shirt. Arms free, he brushes Hyungwon’s hair from his face. “You gonna suck me off, baby?”

Making a noise of disgust, Hyungwon props himself up on one arm and presses the heel of his free hand against Minhyuk’s growing erection. “Stop talking,” he replies over the other man’s sharp inhale. He rotates his wrist and revels in Minhyuk’s rasp-heavy ‘fuck, babe’.

“Remember what I said about Tall, Dark, and Handsome not feeding me shitty porn lines?” he continues, popping the button on Minhyuk’s jeans and tugging down the zip. He slaps Minhyuk’s stomach. “Up.”

“Fun fact,” Minhyuk lifts his hips and Hyungwon squeezes his fingers past the band of his black boxer briefs, clipped nails catching lightly on his skin, “I get off on that face you make when you’re annoyed with me.”

Hyungwon thins his lips and stares, simultaneously dead-eyed and exasperated, at Minhyuk who moans dramatically.

“Yeah, baby, that’s the face.”

“I’m not sucking your dick anymore.” Taking his fingers out of Minhyuk’s pants, Hyungwon starts to sit up, only for Minhyuk to settle a hand on the back of his neck and keep him there.

“Babe, chill,” he chirps, a laugh lingering in his voice. “It wasn’t even that bad.”

Shaking his head, Hyungwon yanks his boyfriend’s — he’s really considering changing that label — jeans and underwear down to his knees, barely registering Minhyuk’s sharp hiss at the harsh drag over his erection.

So this is the fabled monster penis that he’s been hearing about since the very beginning of their relationship. Although Minhyuk may have exaggerated four and a half inches or so, compared to some of the other dicks Hyungwon has come in contact with over the years, Minhyuk’s definitely doesn’t disappoint. It’s thicker than Hyungwon thought it would be and a shade tanner than the rest of his body with a pretty, flushed head.

Sucking his thumb into his mouth, Hyungwon wets it before rolling it over the tip of Minhyuk’s dick, playing with the foreskin and Minhyuk hums appreciatively, mindlessly playing with the light hairs at Hyungwon’s nape. He leans down to slip the head in his mouth but stops, releasing Minhyuk and sitting up. He slaps his bare thigh. “Finish taking your pants off.”

“You don’t have to hit me to get me to do things.” Minhyuk sits up and peels off his jeans (and his Gudetama socks) while he laughs, spreading his legs which Hyungwon quickly lies between.

One hand on Minhyuk’s lower stomach, Hyungwon dribbles spit in the palm of his other hand and properly curls it around the older man’s erection, jerking him lazily but with a firm grip. He nips at his thighs, travelling up from his knee until he reaches where they both want him to be. He tugs at the tight skin of his sack with his lips and kisses up to the tip before taking Minhyuk into his mouth.

He hasn’t done this in a while, since before he broke up with his ex in the spring — man, that sounds pathetic when he thinks about it — but he didn’t expect to miss the smell of arousal or the weight on his tongue.

“Holy _shit_ , Hyungwon,” Minhyuk hisses, fisting the sheets and trying not to buck his hips too much when Hyungwon relaxes his jaw and swallows him all the way down until coarse, black curls tickle his nose.

Hyungwon pushes a little too far, drawing back when he gags. He coughs lightly, pumping Minhyuk’s cock while he catches his breath.

Minhyuk rubs his back soothingly. “Bring your ass around. I should at least get you off before you choke and die,” he jokes, laughter cut short when Hyungwon tightens his grip, rotating his wrist.

Rolling his eyes and coughing into his shoulder again, Hyungwon nods at his bedside table and tells the other man to grab the lube sitting there. He slips out of his sweats and gets on his knees, facing the same direction as Minhyuk who pops the top of the bottle.

“Spread your legs a little bit, babe.”

Past the point of teasing, Minhyuk smears lube over his hole and eases his middle finger in.

Hyungwon rests his head on his boyfriend’s thigh, lazily sucking a bruise into his skin and jerking him off as he’s gently worked open. He brushes a finger over the tip of Minhyuk’s cock, collecting the bit of precum trickling out. “Will you come if I continue sucking you off?”

Minhyuk draws his finger out and Hyungwon can’t help the gasp that falls from his lips when cold lube is dribbled down the line of his ass and a second finger is pushed past his rim. He hums out a negative to the younger man’s question, crooking his fingers in a way that makes Hyungwon squeeze his thighs together. “Relax.” He sweetly kisses Hyungwon in the center of his back, but doesn’t let up, driving his fingers in deeper.

Hyungwon slips Minhyuk’s cock into his mouth to muffle a sharp whine, rolling his hips back further onto the older man’s digits.

“Just like that, baby. Open up for me.” Minhyuk groans heatedly, sliding his fingers out, fixated on the younger man’s ass swallowing his fingers up to the edge of his palm.

At some point he tickles a spot that makes Hyungwon’s jaw drop and his toes curl, electricity zipping across his skin. The absolutely desperate ‘ _please_ ’ that falls from his lips has Minhyuk slipping his fingers from his hole, to his disappointment.

 “Can I fuck you?” Minhyuk asks – begs, really – knocking Hyungwon’s legs further apart and lightly running his thumb over his perineum, upping the pressure when the younger man shoves a hand between his own thighs to tug at his length.

Hyungwon glances up at Minhyuk who stares back with dark eyes. “Not if you don’t have a condo—“ He barely finishes speaking before Minhyuk slips off his bed and out the door. “Nice ass,” he calls out, laughing when Minhyuk yells back ‘I know!”

Sitting, he reaches for the bottle of lube and coats his fingers, curling them around the base of his dick. He fondles his sack absentmindedly as he waits for his boyfriend to get back, stretching his hand so he can tease his rim, dipping his ring finger in just a few centimeters.

“Always be prepared, sweetheart,” Minhyuk says when he walks back through the door moments later, one hand on his cock and the other wiggling a plastic, navy packet. He crawls onto the bed. “How do you want it?”

Rolling his eyes, Hyungwon roughly pushes him down. “On your back,” he orders, straddling Minhyuk’s legs.

Minhyuk _oooh_ s dramatically as he drags a pillow to fit beneath his head. “I pegged you as a missionary boy,” he says, ripping open the condom and tossing the wrapper onto the floor. He rolls the condom onto his length and wiggles his eyebrows as he lubes himself up.

“Do you always talk this much during sex?” Hyungwon asks, bracing himself on Minhyuk’s chest and angling his cockhead with his entrance.

“Only when I’m nervous.”

Hyungwon smirks but it’s quickly erased, his breath catching in his throat as Minhyuk presses in with a strong hand braced on his hip. His fingers curl, scratching temporary lines of white down the older man’s chest. He bites down on his bottom lip, keening when Minhyuk bends one of his knees and shallowly lifts his hips.

“Too fast?” The older man asks, rubbing Hyungwon’s sides even though he doesn’t stop.

Eyelids fluttering, Hyungwon shakes his head. He leans down and kisses Minhyuk feverishly, grunting every time he pushes a little bit deeper. “I could have been stretched some more,” he pants into Minhyuk’s pliant mouth, teething at his kiss-swollen lips.

“Yeah,” Minhyuk agrees with a shuddering breath. “You’re really fucking tight.” He cranes his head back enough to look into Hyungwon’s eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Humming an affirmative, Hyungwon drops his hips to prove it, bottoming out and digging his nails into Minhyuk’s chest when the stretch errs on painful. He immediately raises up, like his body is instinctively trying to run away, but Minhyuk takes it for what it is — a sign to just keep going — settling strong hands on his waist and fucking him in slow, but deep, even strokes.

He isn’t surprised that Minhyuk is just as loud as he is, the older man matching him for every gasp, every moan that escapes his mouth and murmuring under his breath about how _you’re doing so good, baby; look at how pretty you are, all worked up for me._ Honestly, Hyungwon would call him out for it if he wasn’t so worked up, flushed to the tips of his toes, hand on his length matching the pace of Minhyuk’s thrusts.

But Minhyuk is just as so, wrapping solid arms around Hyungwon’s waist and fucking him fast and hard once Hyungwon completely dissolves against his chest, suckling his nipples and muttering a litany of curses in between hot exhales of his name into his neck.

“Good?” Minhyuk chuckles huskily.

“I mean it; stop talking,” warns Hyungwon into his collarbone, tweaking the nipple in front of his face.

“Or what?”

He sits up and takes control easily with a well practiced swivel of his hips, sticking out his tongue cheekily when Minhyuk curses, dropping wide eyes to where their bodies connect and then snapping his gaze up to Hyungwon’s face. “Sit back and enjoy the ride,” he says teasingly, leaning back until Minhyuk gets the idea to drop his legs.

“And you told _me_ to shut u—“

Brushing his hair out of his face, damp with the light sweat dotting his forehead, Hyungwon expertly grinds his ass down, stealing Minhyuk’s breath. “Or I’ll make you.” Like this the older man fills him the way he really wants, hits deeper than before, and Hyungwon can feel his peak building low in his stomach. But he doesn’t slow down, knows that if he does this right he can make Minhyuk fall apart first.

He can feel it in the way Minhyuk digs his fingers into his skin just a little harder, almost enough to bruise, with each roll of his hips; can see it in the way he nervously wets his lips, eyes glazed and unfocused and struggling to stay open; can hear it in the way sinful groans drip from his lips faster, more desperate than the one before it.

“H-Hyungwon…baby, wait.”

Hyungwon opens his eyes, unsure of when exactly he closed them, and glances down at Minhyuk, the older man’s eyes squeezed shut, brows knit together.

“You’re gonna make me cum.”

“Yeah?”

“Mmm,” Minhyuk hums, nodding minutely.

He braces his hands on Minhyuk’s knees, watching him suck his bottom lip into his mouth and peel his dark eyes open. “I didn’t think I would last longer than you,” he jokes, smirking.

Instead of rising to the bait, Minhyuk trails his gaze down Hyungwon’s body, eyebrows twitching in pleasure. His mouth pops open, pants accelerating until one catches in his throat and he stops Hyungwon’s jerking hips, bucking his own as he orgasms.

For the first time, while he listens to Minhyuk’s weak moaning, Hyungwon remembers that it’s Saturday and he has neighbors who are most likely home.

Minhyuk drags him down by his shoulders, bunching the short strands of Hyungwon’s hair in his hand and sloppily twining their tongues together. He rolls them over suddenly, breaking the kiss and shifting down Hyungwon’s body to close his mouth around his weeping erection.

Hyungwon doesn’t have time to enjoy it, pushing Minhyuk off with a flat palm to his forehead not even a minute later and coming into the business student’s hand with a soft mewl.

Minhyuk looks at his soiled hand and then further down his body once he’s finished working Hyungwon through his orgasm and hums thoughtfully. “Should I have taken the condom off before letting you cum all over me?”

Shutting his eyes, Hyungwon stretches his arms over his head, fingertips brushing the wall at the top of his bed. “Wipe it on the sheets. I need to do laundry anyway,” he says, refusing to let Minhyuk’s non-issue ruin his post-coital chill.

He guesses the older man takes his advice because he feels Minhyuk get off the bed.

“Where’s your trash can?”

“Next to the bookshelf.”

The plastic bag in the can crinkles and moments later, the bed dips as Minhyuk flops onto it. To Hyungwon’s surprise, he doesn’t say anything, just tangles their legs together and presses a single kiss to Hyungwon’s cheek.

Peeling his eyes open, Hyungwon rolls onto his front and, consequently, halfway onto Minhyuk. “I want Chinese food.”

Minhyuk snorts, trying to hold in his laughter but failing. “I can’t believe the first thing you say to me after our first time is that you want Chinese food. You’re honestly so weird.”

“What else is there to say? It was good, I need to take a shower because I have lube up my ass, and I’m hungry and I want Chinese. The first two go without saying.” Hyungwon grins when Minhyuk playfully taps his nose.

“But I like hearing about what an amazing fuck I am.” Minhyuk says, conceited as always.

Shaking his head, equal parts exasperated and adoring, Hyungwon pushes himself up. “You lied to me about being ten inches, so I really don’t owe you any compliments.” He crawls over Minhyuk and off the bed.

“How unromantic.” Minhyuk sits up and crosses his legs in front of him.

Hyungwon picks up his clothes from the floor and hangs them over his arms. He walks back to where Minhyuk is sitting and leans in close. “Damn, Minhyuk, baby, you’re so thick. Just tore me right open. I can barely stand. I’ll feel you in me for weeks. No one will ever fuck me as well as you can,” he rambles before kissing him full on the mouth. “Happy?”

“You’re so mean to me.” Minhyuk pouts.

“You like it.” Hyungwon straightens up, shrugging. He turns to leave the room. “Don’t take too long to come shower, okay?”

  

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/17 _10:35am_**

> You said it was the one outside the psychology wing, right?

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/17 _10:35am_**

> yup yup

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/17 _10:35am_**

> You’re stupid.

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/17** _**10:36am**     _

> woww so disrespectful all the time
> 
> spare me, my love

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/17 _10:36am_**

> <3

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/17 _10:37am_**

> mhm <3
> 
> so why am i stupid

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/17 _10:37am_**

> There are a number of reasons that I don’t have time to get into
> 
> But the number you found…
> 
> isn’t mine

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/17 _10:37am_**

> oh it’s not?

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/17 _10:38am_**

> No lol
> 
> My number is 6533-2994
> 
> This one is 6588-2994

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/17 _10:38am_**

> how can you even tell?
> 
> the marker was light as hell

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/17 _10:39am_**

> I know the difference between a 3 and a 8?

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/17 _10:39am_**

> welllll
> 
> if i could read numbers, i wouldn’t have met you sweetheart

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/17 _10:40am_**

> I seem to remember meeting you at Starbucks and you making it your life mission to shamelessly flirt with me.

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/17 _10:44am_**

> i dont remember that
> 
> musta been someone else

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/17 _10:44am_**

> There were witnesses

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/17 _10:44am_**

> doppleganger

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/17 _10:45am_**

> Are you actually embarrassed about it?

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/17 _10:46am_**

> embarrassment isn’t in lee minhyuk’s vocab

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/17 _10:46am_**

> It’s so cute that you’re embarrassed.

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/17 _10:47am_**

> im
> 
> noT

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/17 _10:47am_**

> I’m telling Kihyun~

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/17 _10:48am_**

> if he calls me whipped one more time cause of you
> 
> i swear

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/17 _10:48am_**

> You ARE whipped.

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/17 _10:48am_**

> ok so i am
> 
> like 10% whipped
> 
> but that doesn’t mean i wanna hear it from rat boy

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/17 _10:49am_**

> 99%

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/17 _10:49am_**

> 11

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/17 _10:51am_**

> 99.9

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/17 _10:51am_**

> 12

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/17 _10:54am_**

> [image attachment: a selfie of hyungwon blowing a kiss with a pink cat ears filter]

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/17 _10:56am_**

> 30
> 
> final answer

**FROM: chae baby**

**14/12/17 _10:56am_**

> Ok Minhyuk

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/17 _10:57am_**

> what do you mean
> 
> ok minhyuk

**FROM: Minhyuk**

**14/12/17 _11:05am_**

> you cant ignore me chae hyungwon

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote 80% of this fic at work (i had a lot of free time ok) completely out of my ass and i wasn't expecting for it to turn into my literal child lmao. i wasn't expecting anyone to like it either so everyone who read, etc. has my eternal love ♥♥ sorry for this shit i've given you as the 'epilogue'. please forgive me.


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